The SHLD of Remnant
by pichu9
Summary: Sequel to "The SHLD of Beacon." 5 years after Beacon, Team SHLD finds themselves in...various predicaments. However, not all is peaceful in the shadows of Vale and the other kingdoms. Join Delta and his team as they battle monsters, bad guys, and just flat out deal with every day life. Adult themed.
1. 5 Years Later

**Hello again, everybody! Glad y'all could make it to the sequel to _The SHLD of Beacon_! Anyway, I was actually waiting for one of the beta readers to send back feedback, but it's taking too long and I know some of y'all are getting antsy. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

 _23 years old…where does the time go?_

I smirked, leaning back into the chair I was sitting in as I listened to Sierra and Hotel happily chatting with the locals. Having ran strong for so long, we had decided to take a, persay, "sponser" of sorts at my dad's Tavern, simply called "Al's Tavern." Did mom give him a lot of crap about it? I'd be lying if I said she didn't half beat him to a pulp for opening it in the first place.

 _Five years and Team SHLD's still running strong as ever._

I then turned to Lima, who was slurping away at some orange juice, clearly not interested in the alcohol that the other two were enjoying. I then heard Hotel, as well as the locals that he was talking to, burst out into laughter. I couldn't help but chuckle, only to see Lima's ear perk out of the corner of my eye.

"What's up, partner?"

Lima remained quiet as usual as she glanced at the entrance of the Tavern.

I turned my attention to the door as well as it suddenly slammed open. I immediately noted a man, probably as tall as, if not taller than, Hotel, carrying around a battle axe of sorts. Two more men entered after him as he said, "Al's Tavern is rather…disappointing."

"C'mon boss," one of the lackeys stated, "We should remodel this place after we beat the living crap out of this 'Team SHLD.'"

 _Ooooh snap._

My lips curled up into a grin as Sierra spun herself around, swinging a leg over the other as she asked, "So…what brings you gentlemen into Al's Tavern tonight?"

"We're here for Team SHLD," the other lackey stated, "Cuz one of their members beat up our boys earlier!"

… _huh? Umm…oh. Oh. Oooh._

I held back my laughter remembering those drunken sailors who had tried to hit on Lima earlier, only to end up on the reverse side of my blades.

I could tell that my partner was holding back her own laughter as well as Sierra didn't hold back hers and said, "Well then, good luck."

"What?"

"Because," Sierra stated, a grin plastered on her face as she looked up, "I'm not about to let you touch any of my boys. And girl for that matter."

Suddenly, Hotel slugged one of the lackeys in the cheek, followed by Lima, who hip tossed the other, finishing him with an axe kick to the gut.

"Wh-wha…!?"

The man looked at his lackeys, seemingly shocked that Hotel and Lima had gotten behind him so fast as the locals began cheering us on. Hotel grinned victoriously as Lima patted her hands, her ears perking up in aggression as she glared at the man. He nervously turned his gaze to Hotel, then Lima, then finally back at Sierra, who, still grinning, stated, "Or they can just handle the business for me!"

"D-don't fuck with me!"

Suddenly, the man drew his axe. I turned my attention to Sierra, who flicked her wrists, hiding the fact that she was holding two knives. I sighed as the man charged, a "BANG" filling the tavern as I stopped my sword in midair, having fired it, holding it at the man's throat.

"I advise you don't do that," I stated, "If you want to keep your life that is."

"Delta."

I turned my attention to my leader, who raised an eyebrow at me, her grin having turned into a frown as she asked, "Why're you taking my fun away?"

"I don't need to explain to my dad why there's blood in the tavern," I explained as Hotel hit the back of the man's head with an empty champagne bottle, effectively knocking him out.

"Delta, I'm back! Can you help me…with…."

I turned around, seeing the jet black hair and red eyes of my dad holding a crate of vodka.

"Is there…something I should know about here, son?"

"Umm…," I replied, tracing his eyes all the way to my swords, causing me to sheath them immediately as I continued, "Just a minor altercation."

"I'll…leave it at that," my dad replied, "but can you help me with these cases?"

"I…guess…?"

I turned to Sierra, who sighed, smiling at me as she said, "I'm not stopping you."

* * *

With a sigh, I walked out of the back room, having finally finished my dad's work for the day as he began counting up the til. I walked up to him and sat on the back counter, catching his attention as he entered an X amount into his scroll. It was then that I caught sight of my team still hanging out in the lobby.

"You should go join them," dad said to me as he picked up the cash tray, already making his way to the back where our house was located. Despite having already gotten my own apartment, I still called it "our" since I still mooched off of them for some aspects of my life. Most namely laundry.

Complying, I took a quick seat next to them as Sierra said, "Now that Delta's here, let's discuss our next course of action."

"…Agreed," Lima replied, followed by a grunt of agreement from Hotel.

"Alright," Sierra stated, "Despite my protests, Ozpin's having us do teaching duty. At Beacon."

… _Oh hell no._

"And before you say anything, Delta," Sierra said, "You're no exception."

"God dammiiiit," I groaned out loud, dropping my head on the table.

Depression quickly flooded my system as the sound of the door opening caught all of our attentions.

"Oh, we're closed for now," I heard my dad say, walking back into the lobby.

"No worries," Windsickle's familiar voice stated, "I'm just here to pick up Lima."

"Alright," my dad replied, his footsteps disappearing yet again as the sound of Lima's chair sliding out from under her filled the air, followed by a light kiss on my head, then followed by idle chatter with Wind as they took off. I then heard Hotel groan, assuming he was stretching as he stood up and said, "I oughta get going too."

"See ya, Hotel," Sierra said, "I'll forward the details to you later."

There was an awkward silence between us as Hotel opened the door, closing it just moments afterwards. Sierra then sighed and asked, "So is this about Ruby?"

I flinched, my heart throbbing as Sierra continued, "You don't want to go to Beacon because of Ruby, huh?"

"…Mostly, yeah," I admitted, my heart seemingly wrenching itself out of my chest as I recalled the day last year. The day we broke up.

* * *

" _I'm telling you," Echo told me, "You need to cut all of these duties and spend time with Ruby!"_

" _Stop telling me what to do, Echo," I replied to him, walking down the halls of the building we were in rather quickly, getting annoyed with how he kept pestering me about how I should be spending more time with Ruby_

 _ **Not like I can help it….**_

" _Ugh…look Echo," I said, finally stopping and turning to face him, "I know I should be spending more time with her but…with how things are going right now, it's just…."_

" _Bullshit," Echo replied, "You know damn well that you can turn away missions."_

" _But at the cost of my livelihood!? Not happening!"_

" _Delta," Echo said, "Ruby's not going to stand for any more ignorance."_

" _Ignorance? What the hell are you talking about?"_

 _The front doors opened up, causing me to turn and nearly run into someone._

 _Narrowly dodging the person, I quickly identified it as Ruby, who had long since grown her hair out to her mid back, keeping the same attire, as she stared at me. A bit more intensely than usual._

" _Oh, hi Ruby," I said in surprise, "What's up?"_

"… _Delta…," Ruby said sternly, causing me to shiver._

" _Umm…," I said, stammering, "D…did I do something wrong?"_

 _Ruby glanced away, twirling a stray bang as she said, "'Something wrong' would be an understatement, Delta."_

… _ **she didn't call me "Del…."**_

"… _Hang on, Rubes, I can explain-."_

" _Don't. Say. Anything."_

 _I suddenly found myself frozen in place as she walked up to me and reached around her neck. I watched, fearing what she was going to do as she removed the locket I had given her so long ago, looping it around my neck._

" _I'm breaking up with you," Ruby stated flatly, "Goodbye."_

* * *

I felt the familiar feeling of wanting to kill myself well up once more as tears suddenly flooded my eyes. Digging my face into my arms, my breathing began to grow a bit more labored as I felt Sierra patting my back. My heart wrenched itself into a ball again as I let out an involuntary sob.

"…Fucking…," I breathed out, "…dammit…!"

"Delta," Sierra asked, "What exactly were you planning?"

I remained sobbing for several more minutes before I recomposed myself. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small box I had actually gotten that morning. Sierra raised an eyebrow, then grinned as she said, "Oh, you were gonna do 'that.'"

"Which is why I was taking so many jobs…," I mumbled, "the morning I ordered it, she broke up with me…."

"Oh," Sierra exclaimed, "Umm…sorry…."

"Don't be," I replied soberly, "It's not your fault."

"No, it is," Sierra stated, "I dragged you on these missions. I should've given you guys time together, but now…."

"It's not your fault Sierra," I replied again, "Really, it isn't."

That night, I contemplated how I should've handled the situation.

* * *

Flopping onto my bed, I saw visions of Ruby smiling in my head, causing my chest to flare up again as I began imagining her with some other guy. Most namely Saber.

"Uuuu…," I moaned out, turning onto my side as I couldn't help but cry.

 _Ruby…Ruby…!_

"Ruby…," I moaned out, gripping my bed sheets even harder than I had before, inadvertently crying myself to sleep.

* * *

 **Oh yeah and before I forget, whoever asked me about Delta's semblance; no, it's not like Minato's kunai. His semblance will fade away with time on any given weapon, and he won't be able to synchronize with it. Anyway, hope y'all hang with me on this story! I'll try not making it quite as long as the prequel.**


	2. First Day of Hell

****Chill chill chill chill, y'all. First off, holy shit y'all must've read _The SHLD of Beacon_ or something cuz this story, by far, is skyrocketing compared to it. Also, I know it was a bit of a shocker that Ruby and Delta broke up, but let me explain since I poorly presented the situation; Delta was "neglecting" Ruby (not sexually, perverts), and she, being as OOC as I made her in the prequel, got sick and tired of him running off and doing things without her. If that'll clear things up a bit, I do hope y'all don't start hating on me. But, still, why Delta neglected her remains to be told later in the story. Anyway, ONWARD!****

* * *

 ***BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP***

I slapped my alarm clock, opening my eyes, reading it at 6:30 a.m.

With a sigh, I rolled off of my bed, stretching a bit before I headed out to my ticket back to hell. Oops, did I say that? I meant Beacon.

Just then, my scroll started ringing. Looking at it, I saw that Sierra was calling me.

"What's up?"

"Hey, you're finally awake."

"What do you mean by 'finally?'"

"I thought you'd be up at five like usual."

"Oh, my bad."

"Anyway, our flights in an hour-and-a-half."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Meeting at the port."

"Roger that."

* * *

I looked around, trying to find my team as people scrambled all around me, trying to catch up to their flights. I kept my chuckle to myself as someone wiped out going down the nearby flight of stairs. Walking over, I quickly helped the person with their belongings, receiving a quick bow of appreciation as they were quick to take off. I waved after them, only to feel a tug on my shirt, causing me to turn around to see the wolf faunus that was my partner.

"…Hi…."

"Hey, Lima," I replied, petting her head, her ears wagging happily.

"There you are, Delta!"

I looked up, seeing Sierra, who was grinning at me as she said, "I was beginning to think you got lost or something."

"Like I'd get lost," I replied, giving Hotel a fist bump.

"Right," Sierra continued. I then turned back to her and asked, "What're we doing at Beacon anyway?"

"Part-time job," Sierra sighed, "We're gonna be teaching a bunch of scrubs while some of the teachers are out on their own jobs."

"Ugh…," I groaned.

"Tell me about it," Hotel sighed.

"Attention," the PA announced, "All passengers headed to Beacon must board the shuttle immediately."

"Alright," Sierra stated, "Operation: Survive Hell, underway!"

" _Operation: Survive Hell?" That's hilarious._

* * *

"By the way…."

"What?"

"How're things with you and Echo?"

"What's up with that question?"

"Well," I continued, "I haven't heard much from him."

"Hmm," Sierra hummed, "It's been steady."

"'Steady,' huh," I repeated, feeling my chest burn a little.

I could tell that Sierra read my mind as she quickly changed the subject and said, "Anyway, what subjects are you guys planning on teaching?"

"The fuck would I care…," Hotel replied.

"Okay, combat training for Hotel," Sierra stated, pulling out her scroll to make notes, "Lima?"

"…Anything…not combat…."

"Okay," Sierra continued, "Anything not combat then…Delta?"

"How about something that teaches them not to be stupid?"

"Then I'll just make you combat supervisor," Sierra stated, finally turning her scroll off.

"That works," I replied, looking out the window to see the familiar tower that belonged to Beacon.

"Alright," Sierra stated, "Here's our stop."

* * *

With a sigh, I entered the room that was the combat room, repaired after so many of my serious bouts with the likes of Sword, Saber, Bullseye, and Slingshot.

Walking to the middle of the arena, I sighed, flopping onto the ground, feeling the cool floor creeping onto my skin. Sitting back up, I stuck a hand out, materializing one of my swords, then jumped back to my feet, materializing the other sword with a slash, accidentally slashing the new concrete floor. I looked back down onto the ground, worried I had severely damaged it, only to see that the concrete had been reinforced, leaving nothing but a slight scratch on it.

With a sigh of relief, I then focused my aura, feeling my other swords begin to take form. Letting out a sigh, I looked to my left, seeing one, then to my right, seeing the other. Smiling, I closed my eyes, imagining that the swordsman from five years ago was in front of me.

 _Adam I think his name was._

I slowly began to walk through the motions of battling him, taking into account of his high speed swordsmanship, his powerful slashes, as well as his shotgun-like sheath. Slowly, but surely, I began to pick up the speed of my attacks as I began going through the motions of what our battle could end up becoming like should our paths, more than likely, cross the others' again.

Only, I then clashed onto one of my own swords. Opening my eyes, one of the swords that was floating around was locked with the sword in my right hand. Sighing, I let the two floating swords drop as I materialized my sword sheath, which was, more or less, like a mess of belts aside from my regular sheath.

Just then, the bell rung, causing me to flinch in surprise as I sheathed my swords.

 _Man, five years can do a number on a person…._

I then heard the doors fly open as students began filing in.

Turning around, I took a look at the present class, who were all chattering amongst each other. Particularly the girls. Especially one with auburn hair, who immediately pulled out a book whilst trying to hide the fact that she talking to who I assumed was her partner next to her.

… _Five..._

I began walking toward the door.

… _Four…_

The students all followed me with their eyes.

… _Three…_

I began whistling as I grabbed onto the door.

… _Two…_

I kept my inner laughter to myself.

… _One…_

Just then, the bell rang as I slammed the door shut. The class cringed at the sound of someone's skull meeting hardwood echoed in the hall. I could hear spots of the class giggling as I opened the door and stuck my head out, seeing someone who looked like a wanna-be-badass holding his nose.

"What the hell, man! Why'd you do that!?"

I opened the door for him and asked, "…Are you gonna come in, or not?"

"Fuck this shit, man," the young man stated as he got back to his feet, beginning to walk away. I immediately walked up behind him, grabbing him by the collar of his school jacket. I could hear a gawking noise as I threw him into the classroom, slamming the door shut as he painfully fell down the stairs.

"Now then," I stated, "Since you're down there, I take it you'll volunteer to be first."

"What the fuck-!?"

I then slapped him and said, "Watch your mouth."

The kid made to speak again, but was wise to shut his mouth as I said, "Much better."

"Now then," I continued, closing my eyes, "Let me introduce myself; my name's Delta Ordance. I don't expect you to call me 'Professor;' that's the last thing I wanna be called here. But I DO expect y'all to respect me."

I opened one eye, seeing everyone nod obediently. Smiling, I chuckled, then asked, "Alright…so who wants to take on Remnant's wanna-be-badass here?"

* * *

"Oh really?"

"Yep."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Ruby."

"Huh?"

Ruby, who had long since grown into a beautiful young woman, faced Sierra, who was on her break.

"You shouldn't do things that you'll regret," Sierra said to her. Ruby kept her eyes on her fellow leader, then averted her gaze. In her mind, her breakup with Delta was silently the most heart wrenching event that had happened to her, even if she was the one who broke up with him.

"…I've done plenty of that already," Ruby replied, leaning on the table as she continued, "How's he doing anyway?"

"Better," Sierra replied, "Still a bit melo though."

"'Melo?'"

"Rosey."

Ruby flinched as Sierra, who had closed her eyes, opened one eye, revealing crimson red as she said, "…I'm gonna _try_ not to hurt you…but if you want to go back together with him, just do it."

Ruby, conflicted, averted her gaze yet again and mumbled, "…and just go through what he was doing to me earlier?"

"Well," Sierra replied, "Maybe you oughta pay attention to _why_ he was doing it."

"Eh?"

Sierra laughed as she said, "I'm not spoiling the surprise for you Rosey. You just need to enter his life again and maybe we'll see something interesting between you two for once!"

* * *

"Okay, that's enough," I sighed, only to hear the two continue to go at it. Opening my eyes, I watched on as the two, two swordsmen, continued to go at it, locking swords as they began to talk smack to each other. I looked up at the groups that I assumed was their teams, whom all the members shrugged at me. I then heard the two push off of each other as I drew my swords, getting a healthy gasp of surprise from the class as I jumped forward, blocking the shots from the two students as I said, "That's enough!"

They both appeared dumbfounded, but then reeled back as if I was their enemy.

"Oh for the love of…!"

I took a step back, watching their swords whiff as I quickly disarmed them, slashing at the handles of the swords, then pointed my blades at their throats, receiving another gasp from the class. I then looked at them and said, "Its shit like that that makes me hate you scrubs…thinking you know everything before you actually become HUNTSMAN!"

I then cut them for real, their auras protecting them as they both went flying opposite directions. Scoffing, I sheathed both of my swords as I looked back at the class, clearly afraid of me at this point. Sighing, I then asked, "Any questions?"

Just then, the door opened, catching my attention. I cleared my throat, hiding the fact that my heart throbbed at the person who had just walked in.

"Need something, Ruby?"

Ruby looked left, then right, then began walking down to the arena to where I was.

"Are they cooperating?"

Ruby then beamed up at me with a smile, causing my chest to burn again.

"They're doing fine," I replied, glancing away from her, "Though these two were a bit of a handful."

Looking at the two I had just knocked out earlier, Ruby scoffed at me and said, "You shouldn't be doing this to a bunch of kids!"

"Hmm," I snorted as the bell rang.

"Get outta here," I said to the class, quickly hearing them run out of the arena. Except for one in particular. Or rather, one _team_ in particular.

I was about to turn back to Ruby, only to hear a voice ask, "E-excuse me, Mr. Ordance!"

"Drop the 'Mister' bullcrap," I sighed, turning around to see a girl, holding her book bag rather nervously. I looked her up and down, making note that she was the auburn haired girl who was hiding behind the book earlier. She quickly readjusted the glasses that I had failed to notice earlier, her auburn hair standing up in nervousness as she asked, "Wh-why'd you do that to them?"

"They wouldn't have stopped otherwise," I replied, "Did you want them to kill each other?"

"W-well," the girl stammered, averting her gaze, "N-no, but…!"

I then took note of other three, who were, in my mind, eyeing me down. With a sigh, I then turned back to Ruby and motioned for her to leave the room with me. I then turned back to the girl, still looking away from me as I patted her shoulder, feeling her flinch.

"Look," I said, "Don't be scared to ask me anything, alright?"


	3. Playfulness

**...I'm just gonna leave this here until y'all catch up...enjoy...**

* * *

I sighed, grabbing two cans of soda from the machine. After we had left the classroom, Ruby and I had ventured towards the mess hall. Was I happy to see Ruby? Why wouldn't I be? I was even happier that she was still single, which I found to be a pleasant surprise. But why now? Why couldn't we talk back in Vale? But most of all, what was she gonna say to me? That she hated me?

Walking back to her, I put the can in front of her on the table and took a seat across from her. I didn't really get a good look at her before, but she had apparently grown some. Her hair was also tied into a ponytail now, and she now sported a single cross on her belt, with her rose emblem acting as her hoodie's pin. However, she was still sporting her "battle skirt" as she called it, still with the stockings and boots.

"What'd you want to talk about?"

Ruby looked up at me, popping her soda can open as she asked, "How've you been lately?"

"Alright," I replied, "Could be better though."

"Same old, same old, huh?"

"Yeah," I chuckled out, chugging down the can, feeling my throat burning a bit.

Pulling the can away, I looked back at Ruby, whose silver eyes pierced through my very being. I averted my gaze down to the open can of soda as she said, "I can't complain."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Ruby replied, taking a quick gulp of soda, then continued, "I've been going on a lot of missions lately."

"Solo?"

"Yep," she replied, "It's hard to stay in one place."

"I know the feeling," I mumbled, then asked, "Oh yeah, you been keeping up with your team?"

Ruby simply laughed and said, "Weiss is too busy running her dad's company, Yang's lord knows where, and Blake's probably still traveling around trying to help what faunus she runs across."

"Oh," I said, surprised, "I would've thought y'all would still keep in contact."

"We do," Ruby said, twirling a bang, "Kinda gets awkward at home without Yang around."

"You're still living with your dad?"

"Yeah," Ruby sighed, "It's a pain in the butt sometimes."

 _Maybe if you hadn't broken up with me, you'd be living with me then._

I chuckled to myself as she asked, "How about you? Still living in your dad's shed?"

"Hey," I shot back, "the tavern's not a 'shed.'"

"Hehe," Ruby giggled as I said, "I got my own place just recently, actually."

"Really?"

"Yep," I answered back confidently.

"Lucky," Ruby replied, pouting ever so cutely. I resisted the urge to just lean over and take a kiss from her as the sound of the doors opening caught both of our attentions. Students suddenly began charging in, making us quickly leave the building as they began running for their favorite spots.

I laughed, as did Ruby, as I said, "Been a while since we've been on the other side of _that_ , hasn't it?"

"Yep," Ruby agreed as I turned to walk back to the cliff. Ruby looked on after me as I asked, "Don't have anything else to do?"

"Hmm," Ruby mumbled, bringing a finger up to her chin, thinking about what her plans were.

"Well," Ruby stated, "I…actually wanted to spend some time with you."

I suddenly felt a blush creep up on my face, causing me to turn around as my chest fluttered.

Shaking my head, I turned back to her and asked, "Then…care to join me?"

* * *

"And that is how you should fight an Ursa," Sierra stated, "Not saying you should go and get yourselves killed now, but just a pointer."

"Excuse me, Ms. Hawthorne?"

"Yes?"

"But is there a way that we could do that with a Beowolf?"

Sierra's gaze turned to that of the student who had just asked the question. The student maintained their composed gaze on her as she asked back, "I don't know. You tell me."

In truth, Sierra knew it was almost the same concept.

The student's gaze then wandered off of her as she then said, "So now, let's get onto the next lesson-."

 ***RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG***

"Dammit," Sierra scoffed out, "You're all free to go."

The class slowly began shuffling out of the room before Sierra stated, "But don't forget to do your homework, you brats!"

There was a collective groan as she turned away, grinning victoriously.

Just then, a tap on her shoulder caught her attention. Turning around she was half expecting Hotel to scream in her face. However, she was surprised to see the golden eyes that belonged to Lima, who was clearly distressed, her ears folded against her head as cute chibi tears trailed down her cheeks.

"L-Lima!?"

"…hard…," Lima cried out, "Very…hard…."

"Oh," Sierra replied, "its okay, cutie."

Lima's ears immediately perked upwards, wagging as Sierra sat on the teacher's counter, sighing. Lima followed, sitting next to her as Sierra then pulled out a knife, examining it. She then turned back to the blackboard, looking at all of the things that she had scribbled down and said, "I've had it pretty hard as well."

Just then, Lima caught the sound of Delta's voice mingling with Ruby's. Perking her ears, she then walked over to the nearby window, looking towards the cliff, spotting the two talking to each other. Turning around, she motioned to Sierra, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she walked over, peeking out the window.

"What's up?"

"…Ruby…Delta…."

"Oh?"

Sierra quickly spotted the two sitting next to each other. Albeit, they weren't sitting as close as they used to, but it was still close enough for Sierra. Sierra couldn't help but grin as she leaned onto the window frame, sensing something developing between the two once more.

"Things are," Sierra said, "Going to get a little interesting again."

* * *

"What _do_ you do here, anyway?"

Ruby turned to face me as I asked, "I mean, really; you can't be a teacher here, right?"

"Oh, dust no," Ruby exclaimed, "I just fix things!"

"Like a mechanic?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied, "Something like that. I repair students' weapons and the practice dummies."

"That sounds like a hassel, Ruby," I said back to her.

"Considering I wanna yell at half the students, yeah it is," she scoffed, showing her clear disgust. I chuckled to myself, then remembered the auburn-haired girl.

"By the way," I asked, "You wouldn't happen to know auburn head, would you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Ruby replied, "I think her name was Aubrey Evergreen or something like that."

"'Evergreen,' huh," I repeated, remembering how she stammered before me. Chuckling, I then felt what I could only describe as murderous intent directed straight at me, causing me to turn to Ruby, who had a hand up to her chest. I raised an eyebrow, curious as my heart fluttered at what I noted as jealousy and asked, "What're you getting so jealous about?"

"H-huh? I-I'm n-not jealous, you jerk!"

"Alright alright," I replied, raising my hands, chuckling.

 _Sure, Rubes, sure._

Ruby then began to pout at me as she said, "I'm not the one who neglected you, jerk!"

"Ookay," I replied, standing back up.

"Hey," Ruby stated, "Where're you going?"

"I'm getting outta here before you start yelling at me," I replied, beginning to walk off. However, I then felt a tug on my shirt, causing me to turn around to see Ruby's gaze averted from mine. I raised an eyebrow again, curious as she muttered, "…I'm sorry…."

"Hmm? Didn't quite hear you, Rubes," I teased.

"Uuu~," Ruby groaned, "I'm…sorry."

"Still couldn't hear you," I teased again.

"DAMMIT DEL," she finally screamed, "I'M SORRY!"

Suddenly, my reasoning broke as I pulled her into a hug, catching her off guard as I said, "I forgive you."

"Hmph," she scoffed, returning the embrace, "You're still a jerk, though."

"Haha," I replied, pulling away from her, "Sure, sure."

I could then silently hear Sierra screaming, "KISS ALREADY, DAMMIT!"

I suddenly burst out laughing as the image of Sierra crawling all over the window entered my head. Ruby stared at me in confusion as I regained my composure, feeling Sierra's killer instinct directed at me. Turning to face her, I then replied, "Don't worry; I just have a feeling that Sierra's watching us."

Ruby then shivered and said, "Umm…uh…."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Ruby," I replied, patting her shoulder, "Its almost time for the next classes to start. Let's head back."

* * *

"WHAT THE FUCK, DELTA!?"

"Uh…umm…," Lima stammered, her hands up in an attempt to calm Sierra down. However, said leader was crawling all over the window as she said, "YOU SHOULD'VE GONE FOR THE KILL SHOT! DOUBLE PENALTY!"

"Sierra…," Lima called out, only to be ignored.

"YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH HELL, NOW, BOY!"

"Sierra…!"

"AND WHEN YOU'RE FREE, OH YOU'RE GONNA HOPE YOU WEREN'T ON MY TEAM!l!"

"Sierra!"

"WHAT!?"

Sierra, whose breath had grown ragged, turned around to see Lima with her ears folded against her head, partly in fear, partly in worry.

"Class…," Lima stated, "Now…."

Sierra then looked at the clock, seeing that it was almost time for her next set of lessons.

"Fuuuuck," Sierra sighed out, "uuuu…I'll have to talk to him later then."


	4. Asked by a Student

**And before y'all start putting me on blast, no, they're not back together. I know, I know, I made it look like they were back together last chapter, but isn't that what all friends do? I mean, it's not like Ruby hates Delta or anything. Also, I'm just gonna go ahead and throw this chapter in. I can't see story stats for some reason. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

"And that'll be all for class today," I stated, getting a groan of relief from the classroom. Smirking, I turned around and waved off the projection I had put up, hearing the class shuffling out the door. Turning around, I quickly took note of the auburn head, Aubrey, still in the classroom, frantically writing down notes. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Did you need something, Aubrey?"

"H-huh?"

The girl looked up, her brown orbs meeting my own amethyst as I began making my way up to her. I could see her stiffen up as I took a seat next to her, looking down on whatever she had been writing, impressed at the notes that she was taking.

"Nicely done," I stated, looking up to see her flinch, turning away with a blush. I chuckled and asked, "Well? Was there something you needed?"

"U-umm," Aubrey stammered. I smiled and gave her some time to think about what she was about to say. Then again, she really has been watching me a lot, lately. Who knows; maybe a crush?

 _Heh. Well, that's not happening._

"M-Mr. Delta," Aubrey stammered.

"Enough with the "Mr." crap," I said to her, "You're probably going to be a huntress one day, so I expect you to call me by my name."

"O-Okay," Aubrey stammered, "M-umm, D-Delta…."

"Now stop stuttering," I said to her again.

"D…Del…ta," Aubrey reluctantly stated. I smiled, patting her head, feeling her flinch. I could hear her gasp as I said, "That's better."

"O…okay," she then said, "Umm…."

"I'm all ears," I said to her.

"Well…umm…uhh…," she stammered again. I couldn't help but chuckle at her hesitance, turning away as she asked, "W-well, you see, umm…."

I turned back to her as she asked, "Th-th-there's a d-dance tomorrow night for the new students, and…umm…."

Raising an eyebrow, I had a general idea of where she was going at this. Just then, I felt a killer instinct piercing through my being, causing me to shiver as Aubrey asked, "W-w-will you b-be m-my d-d-dance partner!?"

Blinking, I mentally grinned, processing that a freshman had asked me to be her date. With a chuckle, I looked away from her, taking a peak at the door, seeing it open just a crack. I could already tell that it was Sierra; only she let out this killer intent. I then motioned my hand to scratch my head, signaling her that I wanted to explain something to her.

Almost instantly, I saw the surrounding area turn grey as Sierra asked, "Well? What're you going to say?"

I didn't have to turn around to see the many knives that were pointed at me.

"I'm just gonna go as her dance partner," I explained, "I don't want to be her boyfriend; I'm just going to accompany her to the dance."

Sierra's laser-like eyes continued piercing through my very being. I shivered, thinking that Sierra wasn't going to believe me. However, I then heard her sigh as she said, "…I hope that's all. I have something really good planned for tonight."

"I'm betting on it," I replied, unsurprised as Sierra's presence left the room, the color returning as well. Smiling, I kept my eyes on the auburn-head that was still nervously staring at me expectantly. Deciding to tease her a bit, I then said, "I'm probably going to get yelled at later, but sure. I'll accompany you to the freshman dance."

Aubrey let out what I could only describe as a sigh of relief as she said, "O-okay! Th-thank you!"

"Don't mention it," I replied, shooting a smile at her. I held back from laughing as she stiffed up again, quickly packing her belongings up and taking off.

* * *

"Aubrey!"

Said girl turned around from talking to one of her friends, beaming with delight as she said, "H-hi Mi—I mean—Delta!"

Her friend, a guy with pale green hair and eyes, raised an eyebrow as he asked, "You actually got him to dance with you, Greeny?"

"Hey," Aubrey shot back, "Don't call me 'Greeny!'"

"I'm fine with it," I replied, smirking at her. I could see her eyes turn into swooned hearts as her friend scoffed at me. I quickly took notice of his gesture as I then asked, "…You know, I'm gonna go get some juice. You come with me."

"Huh? Why me?"

"Because I'm saying so as your teacher," I replied, "Now get your ass moving."

The boy scoffed at me as I pulled him to the punch bar with me.

"What's your name?"

The boy raised an eyebrow in confusion as I looked at him expectantly.

"…Eric," he finally replied, "Eric Redwood."

"Oh," I replied, pleasantly surprised, "You're part of Aubrey's team, then?"

"Yes."

"I can also tell that you have a crush on her, right?"

I immediately got a reaction as he blushed, quickly looking away from me. I laughed as I then felt a kiss on my cheek, catching me off guard. I immediately knew it was Lima, causing me to pet her head, catching Eric off guard.

"Oh no," I stated, "Don't get me wrong; Lima's a wolf faunus, so it's only natural for her to greet 'family' like this. We're not in a serious relationship."

My partner then looked at Eric, then walked over to him, walking a full circle around him, causing him to shake uneasily. I laughed and said, "Don't worry; she won't bite!"

Lima then walked back over to me as I continued, "So how about we come up with a plan?"

"A plan?"

"Yeah," I replied, "I'm gonna need yours and Sierra's help with this as well, partner."

Lima's ears perked happily as we huddled up.

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, Rosey!"

"O…okay…."

Ruby nervously walked from behind the screen she had been changing behind. Sierra squealed excitedly at the full length dress she was wearing. Ruby felt like throwing up, mostly from the embarrassment of wearing something she had never worn before, and having been so easily convinced to wear it. All just to impress Delta. She felt her chest burn from the very thought as she suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Well, looking good!"

Both girls then looked at the door, seeing Hotel dressed in a full tuxedo. Sierra whistled and said, "Well, you're looking sharp!"

"Damn right," Hotel stated. Walking over, he looked Ruby up and down, then chuckled to himself. Ruby blinked in confusion as he turned and asked Sierra, "Is she doing all this just for Delta?"

Sierra then pulled Hotel down so she could whisper something in his ear. Hotel furrowed his brow, then began to relax a bit, seemingly understanding what Sierra was saying. He then broke out in a smile, causing Ruby to grow more and more confused as she asked, "What're you guys talking about?"

"Oh," Sierra said, turning back to her, "Don't worry about it, Rosey."

"Umm…o…kay…?"

Ruby suddenly got another fluttering feeling in her stomach, suddenly anticipating something was going to happen to her. She didn't know quite what it was, but it was going to be something positive for once in an entire year. Sighing, she then followed Sierra and Hotel, who both headed for the dance hall.


	5. Truly, Madly, Deeply, Honestly

**Here's what everyone (hopefully) has been waiting for! Hurray! Anyway, I know some of y'all have probably been stabbing me in the chest to get the two back together, so I hope y'all do enjoy this chapter...even if its just a cheap ripoff from the prequel. Well, ENJOY!**

* * *

The music was about halfway done as I continued moving along with Aubrey, who had taken accustom to resting her head on my collar. Despite having grown a bit, I guess it was still fair to say that I was still more on the short end…even if Hotel did compliment that I was still taller than when we first met. However, I could still feel Eric's depressed aura flowing out of him, as well as taking an occasional peek at the two, where he was dancing with Lima nearby. Smirking, I winked at Lima, who winked back, signaling each other that we were right about ready to switch partners.

"Okay students and teachers! Time to switch'em up!"

Just then, I made my way towards the two with Aubrey, swapping her with Lima as we began dancing away. Disappearing into the crowd, I could feel Eric's aura suddenly brighten up, causing me to chuckle. Lima's ears perked happily as we stopped dancing Just as quickly, making our way back to the punch bar.

"That was…easier than I thought," I commented, stretching just a bit.

"Agreed…," Lima replied, turning around to grab a cup of punch. I did the same, spotting Sierra and Hotel, who were talking to each other. I waved towards them, catching their attentions as they made their ways over to us, each taking a cup of their own.

"About time you guys showed up," I said, taking a sip from my cup.

"Well now," Sierra then stated, "We would've been here sooner had it not been for preparing a certain someone now, Delta."

I raised an eyebrow, blinking in confusion as Sierra motioned towards the door. I followed her motion, then widened my eyes in surprise. My chest burned as I saw Ruby, looking as beautiful as ever, uncomfortably make her way over to us. I couldn't help but stare as she nervously took a seat next to me, quickly averting her gaze away.

"R…Ru…by…?"

"Shut. Up."

Ruby gave me the stiff lip treatment, causing me to sigh as I looked away from her. I could see Sierra sigh, putting her index and middle finger against her forehead. Lima looked away, trying to hide her face from the fact that I had fucked up already.

 _God fucking dammit. Smooth, asshole. Very smooth._

Just then, I heard Ruby sigh as she asked, "…do I look good…?"

I flinched at the question, then replied, "You look beautiful."

I could tell that she was obviously happy, even if I weren't looking directly at her.

 _I've known you for that long, Rubes._

"Hah," Hotel sighed, "You know who would make this a party, though?"

"Who?"

We all looked at Hotel as he answered, "Yang."

Ruby immediately turned to him and said, "Yang? I think she's supposed to be-."

"Right here, sis!"

Suddenly, Yang appeared and immediately smothered Ruby against her breasts. We all immediately looked at the older sister, who still had the messy blonde hairstyle, but wearing formal wear as she then turned her attention to Hotel, who was equally surprised.

"Hotel!"

Suddenly, Yang was smothering him as well, as suggested by the gawking noise he let out as she gave him a vice-like hug.

 _And I thought her previous strength was absurd…she got physically stronger!_

I blinked, flabbergasted as Yang then hopped over to me and whispered, "Go for it, Romeo!"

 _Wha!?_

I suddenly found myself blushing as Yang jumped back to Hotel. I was about to yell at her, only to see Sierra from the corner of my eye talking to the DJ. She appeared to be whispering something, causing me to grow suspicious as he raised an eyebrow and said, "But…the kids…."

"Please just do it," Sierra stated, "I know the lovebirds around here will love it as well."

"Hmm," the DJ muttered as he thought to himself, "I…guess. But I have to set them in the right mood first."

"Urgh," Sierra growled, "Fine. When'll that be?"

"When they decide homecoming king and queen!"

 _What. The. Fuck._

"When did this become a tradition?"

"Ever since I graduated."

I immediately took note of Wind's voice. I could tell Lima's ears perked in excitement as she immediately turned around, wide eyed and surprised as her boyfriend of 4 years waved and asked, "What's up, Wolfie?"

"Wind!"

Lima immediately jumped at him over the punch table, catching me off guard at the extent she would go to just to see her boyfriend she practically saw every day. Just then, I felt my chest burn at the thought.

 _Boyfriend…and girlfriend…._

I resisted the urge to turn to Ruby, who was apparently talking to someone. Slowly, I turned my head, holding my cup of juice as I looked from the corner of my eye, spotting a student talking with Ruby. My heart throbbed as I forced myself to drink from the cup, seeing her smile politely, then wave him off.

Putting the cup down, I turned back to Wind and asked, "By the way, how's Sword doing?"

"Fine," Wind replied between Lima's nuzzling, "I think he and Weiss just got engaged."

"Huh!?"

Yang, Hotel, Ruby, and I all turned to Wind in surprise as he said, "You…really haven't heard from them, have you?"

"Well," Yang replied, "I've been traveling so I haven't had much contact with her or Blake."

"And she doesn't like telling me things like that," Ruby replied.

"And I'm always talking to you because Sword's always too busy to talk," I replied.

"And I don't talk to anyone but Rust on your team," Hotel replied.

"Haha," Wind laughed, "Point taken."

I then felt a nudge on my shoulder, causing me to look up to see Sierra staring at me expectantly.

"Oh stop it," I replied, averting my gaze away from her.

"And now," the DJ suddenly called out, "The moment you kids have been waiting for…HOMECOMING KING AND QUEEN!"

The students all cheered, causing us to turn around and watch as the DJ started calling out names, the last two being Aubrey and Eric, which really caught me by surprise.

 _I guess they're more popular than I thought._

"And the homecoming king and queen is…!"

There was a silence that covered the crowd as Glynda Goodwitch, as I was now able to call her, almost against her will, stated, "Aubrey Evergreen and Eric Redwood."

The crowd cheered and began chanting, "Freshies! Freshies! Freshies!"

I couldn't help but smile, stealing a glance at Ruby, who was apparently looking back at me. Our eyes made contact almost immediately and I immediately felt my heart begin to race. I blinked, as did she, as we almost immediately knew what was going to come next. I then felt a pat on my back as Sierra whispered, "C'mon…you can do it, D!"

I swallowed some spit as a familiar tune came on, causing me to sigh out, "God dammit…this is so unfair in so many ways…."

Standing up, I walked over to Ruby, who had followed me with her eyes as I reached a hand out to her. She blushed almost immediately as I asked, "…Can I have this dance?"

Ruby blinked at me as I felt butterflies immediately invade my stomach, causing me to grow weak in the legs as I began trembling in anticipation. Ruby averted her gaze as the music began playing. One song that I almost regret lying to her with.

 _"I'll be your dream"_

 _"I'll be your wish"_

 _I"'ll be your fantasy"_

Ruby finally turned to me and said, "…Yeah!"

 _"I'll be your hope"_

 _"I'll be your love"_

 _"Be everything that you need"_

I mentally made a note to myself to kill Sierra later as Ruby placed her hand in my palm. Pulling her up gently, we made our way to the dancefloor, where many of the other couples were dancing as well. Almost immediately, I could feel Ruby place her face in the crook of my neck as I caressed her lower back, holding my hands together as she slung hers around my neck.

I could tell that the others were rooting me on as I smiled to myself, enjoying the familiar sensation of floating as I took in the all-too-familiar scent of strawberries. Oh, how I missed it.

 _"I wanna stand with you on a mountain"_

 _"I wanna bathe with you in the sea"_

 _"I wanna lay like this forever"_

 _"Until the sky falls down on me"_

It felt so natural.

The two of us.

In this embrace.

It was almost like we had never broke up.

Just like how I had wished it to be.

Then, just as quickly as the dance had begun, it seemed like it was almost over far too quickly. Unbeknownst to Ruby, I slowly began to tighten my grip on her, feeling my eyes begin to water as the chorus began.

 _"I'll love you more"_

 _"With every breath"_

 _"Truly"_

 _"Madly"_

 _"Deeply"_

 _"Doo~"_

"I love you."

I immediately felt Ruby stiffen up, just like before.

However, this time, I wasn't going to let her go.

I began tightening my grip on her as she stuttered, "Wh…wha…D…Del…?"

"I love you," I repeated, "I love you…so much."

I then dug my face into the crook of her neck, hearing her hitch her breath as I relaxed my grip on her, continuing the dance.

 _I don't care if you hate me, Rubes. I love you so much._

* * *

"Well," Sierra stated, "I'd like to think this was successful."

Looking at the couple, she noted how Delta had his face dug into her neck, as well as Ruby's guilty happy smile that he couldn't see as they finished out the dance.

"Hah...," Sierra then sighed, "If only you were here…Echo."

"Of course I am!"

Flinching, Sierra turned to her right, seeing her electrical semblance boyfriend as he asked, "Did you think I was gonna miss something like _that_?"

Echo then pointed at the couple, now backing off to bow to each other as Sierra replied, "Yeah, point taken. But."

Just then, Sierra stood up and sat in Echo's lap, looping her arms around his neck as she said, "You have to suffer the late penalty now~!"

"Ooh," Echo replied sarcastically, "so scary."

The two then shared a kiss as Ruby and Delta both left the dance hall, silently enjoying each other's company.


	6. Just Like Before

**...Alright...would y'all be mad if I made this chapter this soon? Hah...anyway...**

 ***Intakes air***

 ** **LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT****

* * *

The sounds of our shoes tapping on the ground filled the empty hallways as Ruby and I each made our ways to our individual living quarters. I knew that she had heard me this time, considering I practically sang my feelings out loud. My chest burned at the thought of being rejected again as we finally reached Ruby's room.

"Umm…," Ruby spoke up, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"Umm…," I repeated, not looking at her.

I then turned to her, as she did to me as we both simultaneously said, "Would you-?"

We both turned away just as quickly, blushing as I remained silent.

 _C'mon…get a grip, Delta._

Clearing my throat, I turned to face her again and said, "Umm…you go first."

"No no," Ruby replied, turning to face me again, waving her hands, "You first!"

"Lady's first," I replied, smirking at her.

Ruby then began pouting, turning away. I chuckled to myself as she sighed, then took in a deep breath. I could see the blush evident on her face as she asked, "W…would you…umm…st…st…stay w-with…me…tonight?"

I blinked, comprehending the request.

 _Stay…tonight…EH!?_

I held back from screaming as she quickly grabbed my hand and threw me into her room. I blinked, landing on her bed as the door slammed shut and locked as Ruby was hovering over me just as quickly. I blinked again, her silver eyes seemingly glowing as she stared me down, her ponytail dangling from her shoulder.

"Del…," Ruby whispered out, her eyes seemingly clouding with lust.

Swallowing some spit, I watched as she slowly began lowering herself down to me.

 _W-wait a sec! We're moving too quick-!_

Ruby's lips met mine, causing my mind to go blank for a moment before she pulled away and said, "I missed you…."

"Ru-Ruby, wai-!"

Ruby was quick to mash her lips against mine again as she began slipping out of her dress. I blinked again as her hands were quick to tear my own clothing off before I pushed her off of me, pinning her beneath me as said, "Hold on!"

Our breathing ragged, I stared down at the beautiful girl that, gee, I don't even think "ex" would be the word to use here.

"Did you," I asked, "Really want to break up?"

Ruby blinked up at me, causing me to wonder if she really did. I watched as she averted her gaze away from me, bringing her arms to cover her breasts as she seemingly struggled to answer me. I kept my gaze on her as she took in a deep breath and said, "…I…really did but…then I regretted it…later…."

"Hehe," I chuckled, "Thought you would've."

"Huh?"

I then stole a kiss from her, catching her by surprise. Ruby let out a squeak of surprise as I immediately deepened the kiss, my tongue reuniting with hers as she squirmed beneath me. I felt butterflies in my stomach as my heart began racing, blood rushing to my head as I pulled away, panting. Ruby…well…she was left gasping for air. I widened my eyes in surprise at her flushed face as I asked, "Not used to this anymore, are ya?"

"Hah! Hah! Delta~!"

I couldn't help but chuckle again as I leaned down and asked, "You're so cute, Rubes."

I then felt her stiffen up, her eyes widened, causing me to frown in disappointment. Blinking, I sighed as I got off of her, opting to sit next to her. Ruby blinked herself, then sat up and asked, "Wh-what's wrong?"

"…Are you forcing yourself?"

"Eh?"

I continued staring at her, unamused as I asked again, "You're forcing yourself, aren't you?"

"Wh-why would you think that!?"

Ruby, flustered, immediately covered herself up with her arms, effectively killing the mood. I sighed as I stood up, stretching. I could hear her let out a sound of confusion as I said, "…If you don't care about me, its fine."

"Eh?"

"If you don't care about me," I repeated, "Its fine."

"Huh!? Del, who said anything about that!?"

I turned to face her, about to speak again before I felt the sensation of flying, then ended up back on top of Ruby on the bed. I blinked in confusion, then met her eyes. Those beautiful eyes. I almost couldn't resist.

 _Ruby…._

"Please…Del…!"

 _That's…._

My chest burned again as I leaned down, inches away from her lips.

 _Just not fair…._

Our lips met again as I felt her hands begin to snake behind my back. I blinked, having not closed my eyes, too mesmerized by Ruby's silver eyes as I deepened the kiss again. Slowly, my lids slid shut as Ruby's mouth willingly opened, accepting my tongue as I played with hers. Adrenaline began racing through my system as I felt Ruby's hands grip the hem of my dress shirt, pulling it upwards.

Pulling away from the kiss, I opted to just tear the buttons off. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as I leaned back down to kiss her again, only to get stopped as she traced my, now somewhat toned, body. I hissed, feeling my knees buckle at the sensation of someone else touching my body again as she said, "I missed this, too."

"Ruby…," I breathed out, slipping the torn shirt off.

Almost immediately, I went to take her bra off, picking her up with one arm and reaching around with the other, easily finding the clip and undoing it. I could hear Ruby take in a sharp breath; almost like she was still unused to the feeling of someone else stripping her, as I immediately went for her panties.

But not before she ripped my pants down, first.

I widened my eyes in surprise as she lustily pulled my underwear off in record time as well, reintroducing herself to my member.

"Oh, wow! You've gotten so big!"

 _Oh good god Ruby, don't say that!_

I was about to voice my thoughts before she began blowing me off. I let out a yelp of surprise, feeling her grin as she licked at my tip. My legs began trembling as I, now unused to the sensation, almost fell. Leaning forward, I used the bed as support as she suddenly deep throated me, causing me to let out a groan as she was quick to let me go with a "pop."

"Hah," I sighed out, "God dammiiit!"

"Enjoy that?"

I glared down at Ruby, who smiled at me. However, her smile was quick to disappear as I ripped her panties off and threw her onto the bed. With an "oomph," Ruby was suddenly looking up at me, albeit very nervously as I smiled sinisterly at her. She blinked a couple times as I said, "Did I ever mention how you're gonna be the death of me?"

"Yes," she replied, regaining her composure, "You've said that many times, Del."

Just then, I shoved myself into her, getting a scream of pain, shock, and surprise from her. I groaned, feeling her coil around me after so long as I struggled from releasing my all into her right then and there. Gritting my teeth, I undid her ponytail and threw the hair tie somewhere as I gripped at her hair.

Ruby growled, catching me by surprise.

Raising my head a bit, I was met with her face scrunched up in pain, almost like when I took her virginity. I blinked as I took note of the tears that were forming at the corner of her eyes, suddenly registering her nails digging into my back. I let out a silent scream of pain as she said, "Y-you…ass…!"

 _Geez, Rubes…picking up on my language now…._

"…Sorry," I apologized, taking a kiss from her.

However, Ruby simply let out a "hmph!" and turned away from me. Raisin an eyebrow, I slowly began to pull out, hearing her exhale uncomfortably, then felt her tense up, as if expecting me to push back into her. I let out a silent laugh as I stayed in place, with only the tip inside as we laid still.

 _C'mon Rubes…break._

Ruby the furrowed her brow. I began to think that she wasn't going to fall for my ploy. Staying still was beginning to turn into torture.

 _This is freakin hard, Ruby…break already!_

She then slowly, but surely, began rocking her hips, now letting out little whining noises.

 _Ruby, just beg me already!_

"Hnn…," Ruby gasped out, "Nn…Del…!"

I let out a sigh, feeling her motions beginning to get to me.

 _Dammit, Ruby!_

"Del," Ruby gasped out again, "Please~!"

"Please…what…?"

I suddenly found myself gasping for breath. My member was getting tingly as I just begged to delve back into Ruby, waiting for her to break. It wasn't helping that she was still rocking her hips. Good thing she wasn't riding me.

"Uuu~," she pouted, "Del~!"

"What…!?"

"Please! Please Del, please!"

"'Please' what…!?"

Ruby then placed her hands on my biceps as I opened my eyes, meeting her silver orbs so full of lust.

"Please," Ruby finally begged, "fuck me…hard…!"

All of my reasoning suddenly snapped.

Involuntarily, I leaned down and whispered, "You want it? You got it…!"

Just then, I dragged her body closer to mine, slamming my hips against hers, getting a yelp of surprise as I moaned, my body remembering the feelings and sensations of sex. I could tell Ruby enjoyed that first thrust as well as her fingers gripped my arms rather tightly.

 _Good thing it isn't her nails._

I quickly pulled backwards again, slamming into her harder, actually moving her up the mattress a bit as she let out a gasp this time, raising her hips a bit.

"Hah! Ah! Ahh!"

 _Oh god…I missed those moans!_

"Del~," Ruby cried out, looping her arms around my shoulders, effectively pulling me down. I then gripped her hips, raising them so I could get a better angle as we necked each other. Ruby's hot breath and sexy moans filled my ears as I groaned, feeling her begin to coil around me.

 _Cumming already?_

"Ah! Hah…! Ngh-ah! Ah! Ahh! AH! AHH!"

I suddenly felt Ruby's legs wrap around my waist as her tunnel began to grip and coil around me, causing me to groan as her nails dug into my shoulders. She began writhing under me as she let out a scream, shifting her hands to my back, opting to claw me. I groaned, but held back my own climax as Ruby quickly came down from her high. I held off my thrusting for a bit as she struggled to catch her breath. I could almost see her glowing as she delved in her afterglow, looking back up at me.

"Uuu~," she suddenly pouted, "You didn't cum!"

"Huh?"

I blinked, comprehending what she had just said as she continued, "You need to cum!"

"…Do I now," I asked playfully, beginning to pull out.

However, I then found myself on my back as Ruby slammed her body back down onto me. I gasped, feeling myself hit her cervix as she let out a yelp, remaining frozen as she took in the sensation. It wasn't the first time I had completely filled her, but I had never hit her cervix that quickly before. Ruby was left gasping in shock as she fell onto me, her breasts pressing against my chest. I could feel her heart beating in sync with mine as I smiled and said, "I'll lead then."

"H-huh? W-wai-!"

I grabbed her hips and lifted her up, getting a gasp, then slammed her back down, receiving a yelp as I knocked her womb again.

"Oh dust," Ruby moaned out, "Yeeessss~!"

"God, Ruby," I moaned as she began taking the lead. Her hands quickly ended up on my chest as she began lifting her weight up on her legs, slamming down onto me as she quickly began tightening up again, causing me to sigh. There was no way I would've gotten away with not cumming twice.

"Ahh," Ruby moaned out, "Del!"

"Ruby…!"

"I," Ruby began screaming out as she came crashing down onto me again, her breasts smooshing into my face, "I l-love you!"

I suddenly felt my heart flutter at her statement.

"I love you," Ruby continued screaming, "I love you I love you I love you!"

"Ruby," I groaned out, "I'm…gonna…!"

"Cumming," Ruby screamed, "CUUUUUUU~!"

I pressed my hips against hers, hugging her tightly as I felt my balls contract, releasing what felt like an entire year's worth of cum. Ruby gasped, letting out little squeaks and moans as each burst of cum entered her womb, her cunt rippling with each burst. I instinctively dug my face into the crook of her neck, blood rushing to my head as I pressed my hips against hers.

 _Oh shit…! Blacking…out…!_

I furrowed my brow, feeling Ruby crush her breasts against my chest even harder as our hearts began beating in perfect sync.

Finally, the sensation came to an end as I reluctantly pulled out of her, gasping for air. My head dropped back onto the pillow as the stars I saw were slowly disappearing. I sighed, content as I relaxed my grip some.

 _Hah…vision's coming back…._

Relaxing my composure, I then found myself looking back into Ruby's silver eyes, which were staring right back at me. I found myself relaxed as she leaned down to kiss me. I closed my eyes, feeling my body relax into the bed as I faintly heard Ruby mumble gibberish.

* * *

I opened my eyes, blinking the sunlight out of my eyes.

… _Hang on a second…this isn't my room._

I then felt the bed shifting, causing me to look to my right, spotting Ruby sitting on the side of the bed. Blinking again, I sat up, catching her attention as I reluctantly wrapped my arms around her and said, "…Morning…beautiful."

Ruby stiffened up momentarily, making me wonder if I did something wrong before she relaxed and said, "…Morning, Del."

I didn't need to look at her to know she was smiling. I felt butterflies in my stomach as I couldn't help but grin. I sighed, enjoying the feeling of holding her, once again.

"…Hey, Ruby."

"…What's up?"

I grabbed my pants sitting nearby and pulled out the locket that I had held onto for the longest time. I could hear Ruby gasp, albeit quietly as I looped the necklace around her neck and asked, "Be my girlfriend again?"


	7. Lesson to be Taught

**Hello again, everybody! Yeah, I'm just gonna start posting now and just hope I get enough people reading this. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

"Hey, Delta."

I looked up at Sierra, who was grinning at me expectantly as she asked, "How'd last night go?"

"Half-decent," I answered, taking a sip from my cup of water, knowing that the night before was more than just "half-decent."

Sierra's grin, however, only widened as she said, "Hehe. 'Half-decent,' you said. Makes me wonder if your _hips_ are outta practice!"

I quickly comprehended what she had just said, causing me to gasp, only to begin choking on the water I was drinking. Coughing madly, I began punching my chest as Sierra began madly laughing, falling off her chair as she began rolling on the ground. My wind pipe stung as I finally regained my breath, gasping for air as I glared at my leader.

"So you set the whole thing up?"

"Damn right, D," Sierra stated proudly, sitting back on her seat.

"Del~ta!"

I then turned around, seeing Ruby with my locket around her neck as she skipped over and asked, "What'cha doin?"

"Oh," I replied, "Hey, Rubes."

"'Hey, Rubes?' What kind of greeting is that? You should be happier to see me!"

"Well," I replied, "I would've been-," I turned to Sierra, "—If I was in on _her_ plan."

Ruby's eyes the trailed to Sierra, who laughed and said, "Hey, you two got to have fun, right?"

"…right," Ruby replied, "'fun.'"

I then turned to Ruby, who shot a wink at me, causing me to blush as adrenaline spiked through my system. Ruby grinned victoriously as she sat on my lap, looping her arms around my neck. I sighed, smiling hopelessly at her as Sierra whistled and said, "You two seem to have caught up quickly."

"Oh, shut it," I replied as Ruby brushed her lips against mine, catching me off guard.

I blinked as Ruby whispered, "I'll see you later, dear."

With that, she hopped off of me and started skipping away. Sierra's predatory gaze was locked squarely on me, causing a shiver to go up my spine as my face heated up. Her lips slowly curled upwards into a smile as she said, "…So your night was much better than 'half-decent.'"

"Shut uuuup," I groaned out, digging my face into my arms in embarrassment.

* * *

"Hmm…."

I continued watching Aubrey's team in the training room.

"Yo."

I turned around, spotting Hotel walking over to me.

"Hey Hotel," I replied, turning back to the screen. I didn't need to turn to know Hotel had taken a seat next to me. I was more paying attention to Aubrey, who also happened to be a spear user. However, her spear was designed a bit differently from Hotel's; whereas my teammate had his gunbarrel at the tip of the shaft where the blade met it, Aubrey's was more designed with two gunbarrels protruding from the sides of the blade.

"…You might wanna go and help her out," I stated. Hotel sighed and leaned back in the chair. I then turned to him as he said, "…I probably should, shouldn't I?"

"Oh stop it," I then said, "You're a teacher, as well as a huntsman that's supposed to help with the younger generation."

"Ugh…what a drag…," Hotel then groaned out as he stood up. I stood up with him as he began making for the door. I was quick to follow, quickly slipping through before it closed on me as I said, "How're things with you and Yang, by the way?"

"Alright," Hotel replied as we made our way to the training hall.

 _Yeah…"alright" he says…._

I held back my laughter as we quickly reached the door that was literally right down the hall. I then opened the door, only to, due to my still absurd reaction time, narrowly dodge what looked like a tomahawk. I winced at the audible "CRACK" that filled the hallway, turning around to see that the hatchet had broken through a window. I then turned back to the team that was still in the training hall, seeing their mouths agape in shock at what had just happened.

Hotel laughed, then replied, "Well, reaction time's still there!"

"It's gotten even better, actually," I replied as we both approached the team. I could tell Aubrey was a bit nervous as I immediately approached her and said, "Aubrey…."

"Y…yes?"

I held back my inner laughter at her nervousness as I said, "This is Hotel. He's my teammate, as well as an adept spear user."

I then heard Hotel scoff in the background, causing me to grit my teeth in mild annoyance as I said, "…ANYWAY, I asked him to…persay…'tutor' you in spear using."

"EH!?"

The entire team's mouths dropped at what I had stated. I looked at each one, Eric included, as I asked, "…what?"

"Aubrey's fine as she is," a taller boy stated, waving his axe around defiantly.

 _Well…I know who threw that tomahawk then._

"She'll actually get herself killed against a Deathstalker, but that's beyond the point," I could hear Hotel mutter behind me.

"…Okay then…Hotel?"

With a sigh, Hotel immediately walked up to her. I could see that she flinched, causing me to chuckle and assume that she was somewhat intimidated at how tall he was. Eric eyed Hotel suspiciously, then side-shuffled over to me and asked, "Are you sure? She can hold her own as is…."

"I know a weakness when I see it," I replied to him, "Hotel's the best tutor I can get for now."

Just then, I leaned back, pushing Eric out of the way as a tomahawk came whizzing past my head. I then eyed the boy with the axe suspiciously as he defiantly stated, "Hey, we don't need any teachers here! This is our private training time!"

"…Hmm…," I muttered, turning to the tomahawk, then back to the boy. I then looked at Eric, who was on the ground, then at the other member, who was using arm bracers of sorts. With a sigh, I pulled Eric back to his feet and said, "…One, you shouldn't be striking out at a teacher…."

"And two!"

We all turned to Hotel, who turned back and said, "You don't f—mess around with Delta."

… _Good job with holding back there, Hotel._

"What's your name, anyway?"

I turned back to the boy, who grit his teeth and said, "…Terrence Thinleaf…."

"Huh," I said, "Well then…Thinleaf…how about I occupy you and the other twos' time while Hotel works with Aubrey?"

"What?"

"I asked," I repeated, "How about I occupy yours and the other twos' time while Hotel works with Aubrey?"

Terrence appeared dumbfounded. He blinked, wide eyed in surprise at the question I had just asked. I could see the anonymous member's gaze shifting between Eric and Terrence in nervousness. Just then, I heard Eric say from behind, "Terrence is really good…are you sure you want to do this…?"

"Eric…."

I then turned to him, seeing him visibly flinch as my aura began to physically flow around me. I could see him shivering as I smiled and said, "You forget who you're talking to."

"Now then," I stated, throwing him back to where the three were standing, "Let's get started, shall we?"

I could hear my sword handles click into place, but only drew one.

 _I'm not gonna need that much effort for these kids._

I was also hoping I wasn't going to bite myself in the ass as well.

Just then, the anonymous member, who was wearing a hoodie, so I couldn't quite see them, charged. I kept a sharp on them, then noticed Terrence attempting a flanking maneuver.

 _There's those two…where's Eric?_

Just then, I stepped to the right, feeling the anonymous member's fist whiz past me as I then leaned forward, raising my sword, hearing the spine tingling sound of metal grinding against metal as I kicked Terrence's feet out from under him. I could hear an audible grunt of pain as I turned my attention back to the anonymous member, who was swinging their other fist at me. I then raised my sword, slashing them at their gauntlet, sending them flying to my left.

 _Two down already…that was quick…now then…._

I then stepped backwards, only to hear Terrence yell, "GET'EM, ERIC!"

Almost immediately, I sensed Eric's aura behind me.

… _this is boring…._

With a sigh, I ducked under the impeding slash, which whizzed past my head, hearing a gasp of surprise as I hopped forward, turning around and saying, "I was thinking you'd get me by now."

Eric then grit his teeth, resetting his stance.

 _Huh. Dual sword user._

I then found myself smirking as he then charged me recklessly.

 _Left slash…._

I deflected the first.

 _Right slash…._

Then the next.

 _Thrust?_

I then sidestepped the thrust and shoulder tackled him in the sternum, getting a gawk from him as I then followed up with a slash to his left hand sword. The ringing of vibrating metal filled the air as it landed several feet away, followed by the sound of my sword meeting his second sword. I immediately followed it up by stomping on the blade, effectively immobilizing it as I pointed the blade at his neck.

"Checkmate," I said with a grin.

Eric, wide eyed, blinked as I relaxed myself a bit.

Sheathing my sword, Eric suddenly asked, "H-how did you do that!?"

"How'd I do what?"

I looked at him again, then back to his team, who were all regrouping minus Aubrey, as Eric continued, "No one's been able to read me that easily!"

"No kidding," Terrence then spoke up, "Eric's already got a reputation as one of the better swordsman in this school."

"…"

I remained silent, then asked, "…Are you self-taught?"

"H-huh? Y-yeah."

"Figures," I replied, walking over to his sword. I could feel all of their eyes on me as I picked it up and said, "It's a trade secret kid. Can't tell ya yet."

With that, I threw the sword back at Eric. I held back my inner laughter as he immediately freaked out about the weapon flying at him, backing away from it slightly as it landed on the ground.

"That's your second problem," I chuckled out, "You don't know your weapons."

Just then, the sound of bullets being fired filled the air, causing me to cover up as I looked over at Hotel and Aubrey, of which the latter was now hopping up and down excitedly. I then looked at Hotel, who had an eyebrow up in amazement, who then looked at me. I shrugged as he smiled and said, "Good job, kid."


	8. Sister of the Leader

**I'm back y'all. FYI, don't be surprised if I neglect to update for extended periods of time. School's started up again, so I'm devoting my time to my academics...maybe. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

"Uhh…umm…."

Aubrey began fidgeting nervously, causing Hotel to sigh in annoyance and ask, "…Seriously, what're you so stiff for?"

"Eh?"

"I mean," Hotel stated, "Relax a bit. Not just in your casual composure, but with your attacks as well."

"H-huh? Why?"

"Because your muscles aren't stopping a spear in mid swing," Hotel continued, then reached for what Aubrey had assumed was a baton of sorts. The baton then turned into a spear as well, albeit different from Aubrey's as Hotel spun it a couple times. With another sigh, he then slid his overcoat off and said, "That's better!"

"Now then," Hotel continued, "I don't mean to boast, but even someone of my size and strength isn't going to stop a spear in mid-swing. You know who Ruby Rose is?"

"Ms. Ruby? Of course!"

"Well, take it from her," Hotel continued, "She never forces her weapon to stop until its lost momentum like…."

Just then, Hotel spun his spear around his body, getting a "WHOA!" of surprise from Aubrey as he caught it and said, "This in a way."

"Th…," Aubrey exclaimed, "that was…so cool!"

"Meh," Hotel replied, "It's not that impressive."

Hotel then began chuckling. Aubrey blinked at him as his chuckle quickly turned into a laugh. Curious, she then looked over to where Delta was fighting her team.

"You know," Hotel then stated, "It sure is funny whenever Delta screws around with someone. In this case, it's your team!"

Hotel was quick to regain his composure as he cleared his throat and said, "Anyway…relax your body a bit, because then, you'll be able to do something like this…!"

Stepping back, Hotel then fired a round into the floor as he began twirling his spear around his body. Aubrey stared on, awestricken as Hotel began going through his battle motions. He then found himself imagining Sierra or Delta in front of him, seeing their attacks in perfect synch with his.

Forcing himself to stop, Hotel then caught his spear and said, "Phew! Been a while since I've done that!"

Aubrey stared on, amazed as Hotel then said, "Alright, now you do it."

"EH!?"

"Or rather," Hotel corrected, "Do it, but at a speed you're comfortable with."

Blinking, Aubrey then looked at her weapon, then sighed and pressed her forehead against the weapon shaft and said, "…Oh dust, please help me…."

Just then, Hotel's motions began flowing through her mind. Her aura swirled around her as she opened her eyes, firing a round, going through the first motion, then the second. Hotel's eyes slowly widened in surprise as she began picking up speed and turned her attention to a sparing dummy. Bullets began filled the air as she sliced and diced the dummy to shredded bits, then stopped as she finally back stepped and javelin threw it into the dummy's head, hitting her mark.

Almost immediately, Aubrey, who was breathing heavily, seemingly realized what she had done. She began jumping up and down excitedly as she turned around and asked, "How'd I do!?"

"…You did...," Hotel exclaimed, "…Very…well…."

He then turned to Delta, who immediately shrugged.

" _This girl…,"_ Hotel thought to himself as she went to retrieve her weapon, _"She's a fast learner."_

* * *

"She did what?"

I almost couldn't believe what Hotel had just told me. Hotel nodded, taking a quick sip from the beer he had somehow stashed away. I blinked, still not believing what he had just said as he continued, "She learned the maneuvers like a snap of a finger."

"What's going on in here?"

We both turned to face Sierra, who had Lima with her. Both girls entered the teacher's lounge that we were sitting in as Hotel quickly explained the situation to Sierra. Lima's ears perked with interest as Sierra immediately beamed with curiosity. However, right as Sierra opened her mouth to say something, the sound of Peter Port's and Bartholomew Oobleck's voices entered the room. We all turned to the door, just being opened, to see the two in what seemed like an intense conversation.

"Indeed Bartholomew! However, I do believe that they need more time studying about the Grimm before they go out into the field!"

"I do agree, Professor Port! I also believe they need more time! However, time is running short!"

"Excuse me, Professors."

Both turned to face Sierra, who asked, "Is there something going on?"

Both of them then turned to face each other, almost like a light bulb had clicked into their heads.

 _Oh no. Don't tell me…._

"Sierra!"

We all flinched as Oobleck was suddenly up in Sierra's face. Said leader yelped in surprise as Port laughed and followed. Oobleck kept what I could only assume was an intense stare behind his glasses as he asked, "Is there anything that your team is doing later today!?"

"Uh…umm…," Sierra turned to face us, getting head shakes, then turned back and replied, "…no…?"

"Perfect!"

Suddenly, Oobleck was on the other side of the room collecting coffee, then back in front of Sierra, causing her to yelp in surprise again as he said, "I need a group to supervise my class as they go and collect materials for their lab! Can you supervise them!?"

Sierra, awe stricken, remained silent as Oobleck repeated "CAN YOU SUPERVISE THEM!?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Perfect!"

With that, Oobleck left to the other room. We all blinked as Port laughed again and said, "I would've let them go earlier, but there have been reports of massive Grimm as of late. Please, do proceed with caution."

With that, Port left as well.

We all blinked in surprise, then turned to face each other as Hotel said, "Umm…o…kay…?"

"…umm…," Lima mumbled out as well, her ears perked up, alerted and surprised.

"…Good grief…," I sighed out.

"Hah…," Sierra sighed as well, "We better be getting paid extra for this…."

* * *

I whistled along, looking left, the right, then left again at the many students picking at the wild plants. I then shot a look at Lima, who wasn't very far from me, getting a sigh of annoyance as another kid yelped in surprise. I chuckled to myself as a baby Deathstalker popped out of the bushes, flashing its trademark stinger and claws in an attempt to chase the kid off.

"U-Umm, Mr. Ordance?"

"Just call me Delta," I sighed, annoyed as I turned to see Aubrey.

"O-oh, r-right," Aubrey muttered, "Umm…D…Del…ta…?"

"What's up?"

I kept my eyes on her as she began saying, "W-well…umm…I was wondering…if…umm…."

Just then, my attention turned to rustling in the bushes. I raised an eyebrow as I zoned Aubrey out, trying to figure out what it was. The bushes continued to rustle, causing me to furrow my brow as I continued staring at the suspicious movement.

… _I should get behind Aubrey._

"Delta?"

"H-huh?"

I shook my head and looked back down at Aubrey, who was staring back at me expectantly.

 _Oh shit. What did she ask?_

"Your answer…?"

Aubrey stared at intensely. I blinked, my face involuntarily heating up as I averted my gaze at Lima, who was glaring back at me. I scratched my head and waved her off and said, "W-well…umm…let's move over there, okay?"

My sword handles immediately clicked into place as Aubrey walked past me. I then eyed the bush again, placing a hand a sword as I turned around, only to hear something crash from the undergrowth. Immediately, I pushed Aubrey away and turned around, drawing my sword as I cut through a Beowolf skull.

A gasp from the class followed as I regained my composure, watching the blood from the Beowolf begin to evaporate.

"Delta!"

I turned around again to see Lima running up to me. I smiled at her as she drew her bow, ears perked up and alerted. I then sheathed one of my swords as I patted her shoulder, getting a flinch of surprise from her as I stated, "Don't worry about it."

"B-but…!"

"Don't worry about it," I repeated, then turned to the class and asked, "Any volunteers?"

Dumbfounded, the class simply looked amongst each other for whoever was going to go first. I held back my inner annoyance, crossing my arms as Lima began firing arrows behind me. I then walked up to the class and muttered, "Sorry Lima…."

"So," I continued, "You can fight each other, but you don't want to fight any Grimm. What's up with that?"

"Well…umm…," one student spoke up. I then heard the class mumbling to themselves as I sighed. Throwing my sword backwards, I could hear Lima yelp in surprise as another Beowolf's death cry filled the air. I then looked over at Eric, who was standing next to Aubrey, seeing his mouth drop in sheer amazement at what I had just done.

"Eric?"

The boy immediately froze as I asked, "Would you like to go first?"

"Uh…umm…."

Eric, seemingly hesitant, looked at Aubrey, then the other two members of his team, as internally struggled with my question.

"It's just a question guys," I stated, "A simple yes or no is all I need."

"Well…umm…."

"Okay," I finally sighed out, "I'll take that as a no. Anyone else?"

Just then, a Beowolf head landed next to me, causing me to turn around and say, "Jeez, Lima! Take it easy!"

Said partner was still jumping around, toying with one Beowolf in particular. I held back my inner laughter as she made it run into a tree, then made it run through a thorn bush. Just then, I felt a tug on my shirt, causing me to turn around to see another girl with what appeared to be shin guards.

"I can do it!"

The girl cheerfully skipped past me as Lima took notice and jumped over to me. I kept my eyes on the girl as she grinned. The Beowolf then turned its attention to her as she began tapping her foot on the ground.

 _Huh? Hold on…._

With a confident grin, she swung a leg back as the Grimm approached her. I kept my eyes on her as she suddenly did a crescent kick, similar to Sierra's. I widened my eyes in surprise as she took the same movement that Sierra usually went through. The Grimm reeled back several steps as she then went for a spin kick, hitting its stomach, then for an axe kick, effectively crushing its skull into the ground.

 _What…the…? Did I miss something?_

"Yeah, and then-."

I then turned around to see Sierra, who was talking to a group of students with Hotel, who then looked at me as I stared at her expectantly. Sierra remained poker faced, then raised an eyebrow in confusion. She then said something to the class and Hotel, then walked over to me.

"What's up?"

"Do you know this girl?"

"Huh?"

Sierra's eyes then trailed over to the girl, who was tapping her foot against the ground again.

"…Oh…fuck…."

"Hmm?"

"What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck…," Sierra muttered to herself as she walked over to the girl. I could hear the girl giggling to herself as she watched the Grimm evaporate. Suddenly, Sierra grabbed the girl's shoulder and sighed, saying, "Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

The girl then turned around, her eyes widened in surprise as Sierra looked down at her.

"Sakuya!"

With that, the girl jumped at Sierra, embracing her tightly as Sierra sighed again, this time in annoyance and lightly hammered her head and said, "It's 'Sierra' to you."

"O-oh," the girl replied, pulling away, "R…right…."

"Sierra?"

Sierra turned around to face me as I asked, "Who is that?"

Lima immediately walked over and walked around the two, clearly interested in the girl. The latter giggled and patted Lima's head, getting her to wag her ears happily. Lima let out a moan of joy as Sierra said, "That's enough."

"Aww…," the girl groaned, allowing Lima to take a full scent test.

"…sister…?"

"Unfortunately," Sierra sighed again, turning to me and continuing, "Sakura Trueblood…my younger sister."


	9. Black Sheep

**Hello again, everybody! Honestly, writing this is a good form of killing time when I'm motivated enough. Please, ENJOY!**

* * *

I stared on as Sakura continued to…well…the best word to describe it would be "pester" Sierra.

"So sis," Sakura asked, "Dad wanted to know when this job is done!"

"Why does he want to know," Sierra asked, clearly uninterested as she hammered Sakura's head again and said, "And its Ms. Sierra, you dolt!"

"We're not in class, so I don't have to address you by 'Miss,'" Sakura shot back, only to get a knife to her neck as Sierra glared at her and said, "Watch your mouth, brat."

"Easy, Sierra," Hotel stated, going through piles of student homework. Sierra sighed, putting the knife away as Sakura went over to the soda machine and bought two cans of soda. I watched as she ran over and placed one can in front of Sierra, who looked back at her and sighed yet again, reluctantly taking the can.

 _So her relationship's rocky with even her sister? Well...I guess it's only to be expected._

"…What do you want, anyway?"

"Huh?"

Sakura flinched as Sierra opened an eye and asked, "Seriously; you wouldn't come to Beacon without a legit reason."

"I want to become a huntress," Sakura answered immediately, only to get hammered on the head again as Sierra stated, "Drop the bullshit."

"…Heh…saw right through me, did you…," Sakura replied, albiet in a melancholy tone. I couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in my chest at how Sierra treated her sister. It wasn't like Ruby's relationship with Yang; it was the exact opposite. I continued watching Sakura, who sighed and said, "…I want to get closer to you."

Sierra raised an eyebrow, then sighed as she stood up. As she began making her way out of the classroom we were in, I began to wonder how Sakura viewed Sierra, and vice versa. Sakura immediately made to follow her older sister, only to get the door slammed in her face. I blinked in surprise as Hotel sighed, "Jesus Christ…."

 _I've…never seen Sierra this angry before…._

Sakura then returned to us, giving out a sad sigh as she sat back down.

"…Sakura?"

"…I'm gonna leave now…."

* * *

"Hey Sierra."

"Gonna ask me about my sister?"

I blinked in surprise, then replied, "Umm…yeah."

With a sigh, Sierra motioned for me to follow her, which I obliged as we began taking a stroll around campus.

"You don't know this," Sierra began, "But I actually changed my last name."

"I can tell," I replied, "Your actual last name is 'Trueblood' isn't it?"

"Essentially," Sierra replied, "'Hawthorne' is actually the name of my caretaker."

"Caretaker?"

"Yep," she continued, "It was right around the time Sakura was born, Scarlet had up and disappeared."

Sierra then paused, taking in a fairly deep breath, then let it out as she continued.

"Scarlet was the, persay, 'crown jewel' of my direct family; she took to the fighting style a lot faster than anyone else. Sakura was second fastest, and I was the unfortunate black sheep."

Another pause.

"Anyway, so yeah; my parents spent all of their time and resources trying to find Scarlet. You can connect the dots from there."

"…."

For some reason, I didn't quite believe her.

"Sierra…."

Sierra averted her gaze away from me.

"Please don't lie to me."

Sierra's brow furrowed as she then said, "…Jeez, D…."

"I want to know," I continued, "What happened between you two?"

"…"

Sierra remained silent as I said, "Sierra…holding it in's only gonna hurt you in the long run. Please tell me; I'm your teammate, and you're my leader."

"...hah…," Sierra sighed, "It…it turned out like this…on one bad day in particular..."

* * *

" _I'm home!"_

 _Sierra removed her headphones, looking up from the book she was reading after hearing Sakura's voice echo through the house. It was quickly followed by the sounds of her parents calling back to her, then asking her how the day went. Sakura was quick to reply as Sierra rolled onto her back, sighing as she stared up at the upper bunk bed that she shared with her younger sister._

" _Sakuya, get down here!"_

 _With a sigh, Sierra got up from her bed mentally preparing herself for the earful she was surely going to get._

 _The door creaked open as Sierra made her way to the living room of the family home, spotting Sakura with a project she had made from school. Her parents were quick to compliment her as Sierra walked into the living room. Her parents were quick to spot her as her father asked, "Where have you been all day?"_

" _Sitting in bed…as usual," Sierra sighed out as Sakura ran over to the older girl, showing her project. Sierra cracked a smile and complimented her younger sister, rubbing her on the head. However, it was quickly followed up by her father saying, "'sitting in bed as usual…,' useless as ever."_

 _It felt like a knife had stabbed through Sierra's heart as she held her poker face. Her mother refused to say anything as Sakura furrowed her brow. Sierra's father only continued the insults, saying, "Slow learning, good for nothing daughter of mine. If only you were smart like Scarlet. If only you could fight like her…."_

" _If only you were like Scarlet," he continued, only for Sierra to bolt out of the room, anger and sadness quickly flooding her system. Sakura was quick to follow, only to get shut out of the room. Banging on the door, Sakura began calling out to her older sister who was clearly on the verge of tears._

" _Sakuya! Sakuya!"_

 _Just then, the door opened a crack. Sakura was quick to enter the room, only to find it empty. She blinked in confusion, then began looking around the room. Only to hear the door creak to a close, causing her to flinch as she turned around, seeing Sierra's gaze averted downward._

"… _Sis-."_

" _Shut up."_

 _Sakura's eyes widened as Sierra looked up, a smile on her face as tears streaked down her cheek._

" _Please shut up," Sierra continued, "Or I'll cut out your vocal cords. 'Kay?"_

" _S…sis…?"_

 _With that, Sierra began walking up to her younger sister, causing the latter to begin walking backwards. Only to hit the corner of the room, causing her to slump down as Sierra towered over her. Sierra's eyes suddenly turned a scarlet red as she began chuckling, then laughing. However, it quickly turned into sobs as Sierra grit her teeth and pushed herself away from the younger girl. Sakura's eyes remained fixated on her older sister as she ran over to the closet and pulled out a duffel bag, throwing it onto her bed._

" _S…Sakuya…?"_

 _Sierra frantically began shoving several belongings and spare clothing into the bag as Sakura slowly got up to her feet. Staring on, Sierra then turned to face her younger sister, then turned away as she began to strip, changing into her casual clothing. Sakura continued staring as Sierra walked over to her and said, "…Sorry…Sakura."_

 _With that, Sierra left the room, ready to confront her parents._

" _There you are," her father stated, "Make yourself useful for once and-."_

" _Become like Scarlet?"_

 _Her mother immediately covered her mouth, clearly shocked._

" _What. Did you say, young lady?"_

" _You heard me," Sierra repeated, "All you ever talk about is 'Scarlet this' and Scarlet that.'"_

" _You watch your mouth, young lady," her father stated, walking up menacingly to her, dropping a glare onto her. Sierra unfazed, glared back at him, only furthering his rage. He raised a fist, making to swing it at her._

" _Don't make me hit you, Sakuya!"_

" _Do it then!"_

 _Her father then flinched, dumbfounded as Sierra continued, "All you care about is Scarlet and Sakura! Scarlet's always been so perfect that you didn't even bother paying attention to me! Admit it! You don't give a rat's ass about me, do you!? Neither of you do!"_

 _A vein popped in the man's forehead as Sierra continued, "All you care about is how quickly we embrace the concept of combat! Well you know what!? I'm sorry I'm not your 'perfect daughter!' I'm sorry I'm not Scarlet!"_

 _Just then, a smack filled the house. Sierra's mother screamed as Sakura ran into the room, horrified as Sierra immediately jumped off the floor of the house, gritting her teeth. An iron taste was quick to fill her mouth, the stinging on her cheek lingering as she spat on the floor, only furthering her father's rage as he raised his fist again._

" _Speak like that to me again, young lady!"_

" _You know what, I will! You guys never gave a rat's ass about me!"_

 _With that, Sierra felt something embrace her body, causing her eyes to widen in surprise as everything suddenly turned gray. Nothing moved. Not her father. Not her mother. Not even her sister, who looked like she was dashing to stop the man._

" _ **Wh…what…the…,"**_ _Sierra thought to herself as she blinked, then willed the area to regain color, seeing her father's fist flying at her again. Immediately, she willed the area to turn gray again, seeing everything freeze again. Blinking in surprise, she made to punch the man back, only to feel a force push her away. She made to do it again, feeling the same force pushing her away yet again._

" _ **So I can't hit anything while the area's gray,"**_ _Sierra thought to herself. With a sigh, Sierra walked back to her room, glad her sister didn't close the door. She then snapped a finger, curious as to what she could do, seeing the area regain color, hearing her father crash into the front door. She giggled to herself as she grabbed the duffel bag from earlier, then walked back down to the living room, where her mother had finally gotten off the couch. Her father immediately turned back to face her and yelled, "What did you do, you little bitch!?"_

 _Sierra then winced, the remark clawing away at her very soul._

"… _Goodbye…," she muttered, the area turning gray once more as her father made to hit her again, only to whiff at thin air, falling onto the floor again._

* * *

"And then I stayed with my caretaker, Marone Hawthorne."

 _Wow…what a story._

I felt my chest fluttering at the crap that Sierra had gone through, realizing that she had ran away from home.

"She's actually Hotel's aunt," Sierra continued, "Which is how I got close to Hotel."

… _Ah, right. They're not from Vale._

"Sierra-."

"Don't say anything."

I then looked at her, seeing her smiling as she said, "It is what it is…I'm surprised that Sakura didn't try to hurt me."

"Why would she?"

"Huh?"

Sierra turned back to face me as I asked, "Why would Sakura want to hurt you?"

Remaining silent, Sierra averted her gaze away from mine. I kept my gaze on her, expecting an answer as Sierra sighed again. I raised an eyebrow as she finally said, "Because I left her."

"Bullshit," I stated. Sierra looked up at me as I continued, "She really wanted to talk to you again, Sierra. Just give her a chance."

"Why?"

"Because you're her older sister," I replied, "She looks up to you…in a way."

"Yeah," Sierra answered back, "Very funny."

"I'm serious."

Sierra kept her gaze averted from mine as I continued, "That's what older siblings are for; they show the right from wrong, protect, and live as role models to their younger siblings."

Sierra, however, kept her gaze away from mine.

"Please Sierra," I pushed on, "Give her a chance."

Silence.

"Please."

Still silence.

"Sierra-!"

"Fine."

 _Huh?_

"But remember this," Sierra stated, opening her now crimson red eyes to me, "If things don't turn out right, I'm having your head, Delta."

* * *

 **Marone (Mar-O-nay) is probably not going to be introduced...unless y'all want me to introduce her. And another thing; however you've imagined Sakura as, just think of a younger Sierra with hair that's just a shade darker without the braids...or bangs...yeah...**


	10. Catching Up

**Hello again everybody! Lately, it seems like I've been getting requests to continue my God Eater Burst crossover, _A Lost Rose_. Did I really make that opening chapter _that_ good? Would you believe that it was written back when I wrote terrible? Anyway, here's the next chapter. ENJOY!**

* * *

*bbbbbbbbbb*

*bbbbbbbbbb*

*bbbbbbbbbb*

 _C'mon…pick up…._

*bbbbbbbbbb*

*bbbbbbbbbb*

*bbbbbb—beep*

"Ruby!"

"Delta? What's up—aahhh!"

A loud "CLANG" filled my scroll's speaker, causing me to pull the device away. There was a small silence that ensued as I slowly brought it back to my ear and asked, "R…Ruby? Are you okay?"

"I'm," Ruby stated, sounding like she was straining with something, "I'm fine! I'm alright!"

"Umm…okay…?"

I then shook my head, then asked, "Are you free tonight?"

"Huh? Tonight? Unless something big comes in, I shouldn't have to do anything tonight."

"Good," I replied, a wave of relief washing over me as I continued, "Could you come by my room tonight?"

"Huh?"

"Or, would the cliff side be alright?"

"I'm cool with going to your room, Del," Ruby replied, then yelped again as another loud "CLANG" filled my scroll's speaker, causing me to yank it away from my ear again. I then brought it back as Ruby yelled, "I'm alright! Just trying to multi-task!"

"Umm…right," I replied, "I'll let you get back to your shop work. Does six sound good?"

"I'm fine with it!"

"Alright. See you then."

* * *

A knock on my door caught my attention.

I looked up from correcting papers, then said, "Its open."

The door slowly opened as Ruby came into my room and shut the door behind her. I sighed, standing up from the desk I was sitting at and walked over to my bed, flopping down on it. I could hear Ruby giggle as her weight sunk into the open spot next to me as she asked, "What's up?"

"Well," I replied, "I can't help but think that…I did something bad."

"Huh?"

"You know Sakura Trueblood?"

"Sakura? I've heard her name around here and there. What's up with her?"

I grit my teeth and replied, "Well…she's Sierra's younger sister."

I was quick to close Ruby's mouth, keeping her from screaming it out loud as I brought a finger up to my lips, telling her to shush as I whispered, "I know! I was shocked as well!"

Bringing my hand down, Ruby then smiled and happily said, "That's great! Her sister's here! Just imagine that duo!"

"Actually, that's the thing," I cut in, "Sierra doesn't like Sakura."

"EEHHH!?"

"Shush," I said again, causing her to cover her mouth with her hands. I chuckled, then dropped my head into Ruby's lap, getting a gasp of surprise from her. With a sigh, I positioned myself into a comfortable position as I said, "I told her to give Sakura a chance but…it's Sierra and…well…she's unpredictable."

"Oh," Ruby said, finally understanding the situation.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Del," Ruby stated as she ran a hand through my hair. I then turned onto my back, looking up into her silver eyes as she said, "Sierra, even if she's mad, isn't the type to just blindly beat the living daylights out of someone. Even if it's someone she doesn't like."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Ruby replied, shifting her legs a bit so they were pointed to her left side. I sighed with content, enjoying the lap pillow as I heard her giggle. I smiled, then looked back up at the silver orbs looking back down at me and said, "…hope you're right."

* * *

"And that's all for today," Sierra sighed out, sitting on the teacher's desk. The evening class she had been teaching groaned with relief as she shot a look at all of the students. Her eyes then trailed to the familiar, similarly silver-haired girl sitting towards the right side of the room talking to other people she assumed was her team.

"Trueblood."

Sakura flinched, then turned to Sierra, saying, "Yes ma'am!"

Sierra pinched the bridge of her nose, then said, "…I need you to stay after tonight."

"Huh? Why?"

Sierra held back from shooting a glare from who she could only assume was Sakura's teammate. However, Sakura was quick to silence the voice as the class began shuffling out of the room. Looking back up, Sakura appeared to be in an intense conversation with the other three, finally convincing them to leave. One boy in particular then said, "…be careful…," and left, leading the other two out of the door, closing it shut.

With a sigh, Sakura then made her way down to where Sierra was sitting on the teacher's desk.

"…Yes…?"

"…How've…you been…?"

Sakura, surprised, widened her eyes as Sierra averted her gaze. Blinking, Sakura sighed and replied, "Fine…just fine."

Sierra, however, didn't buy it as she said, "Enough with the bullshit, Sakura."

Sakura flinched, a burst of adrenaline shooting through her system as Sierra turned her gaze back onto her little sister. Sakura averted her gaze, looking away in shame as Sierra said, "…C'mon. Speak up."

"…oh…what's the use of hiding it…," Sakura mumbled. Sierra raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Sakura took in a deep breath. Exhaling, Sakura took in another breath, then said, "It's terrible at home…sis…."

"Huh?"

"Everything's gone downhill," Sakura stated, "Mom's in the hospital; dad's in jail for attempted murder; everything's gone terrible!"

Sierra widened her eyes, shocked, as Sakura looked back up, her eyes on the verge of tears. Deep inside, Sierra felt a burning sensation in her chest as Sakura turned away. Furrowing her brow, Sierra contemplated on comforting her younger sister. The only person in her past that had even remotely cared about her.

"Since you left…," Sakura sobbed out, "Everything…EVERYTHING went downhill…."

"…Yeah, like that's hard to believe," Sierra mumbled in disbelief. However, Sakura was quick to turn around and furrow her brow in anger. Sierra looked back up at the equally azure eyes as she said, "Since you left! Since you left, every day was like hell to me! Dad would constantly yell at me! Mom would get hurt trying to protect me! Did you not think about how I-!?"

"Shut up."

Sakura flinched at the tone of Sierra's voice.

Turning her eyes back to her younger sister, Sierra's eyes glew a crimson red as her calm gaze slowly turned into a frightening glare. Sakura's anger quickly turned into fear as she recalled the sensation she had felt the day Sierra had left home. The burning red eyes seemingly burning into her soul.

"Now," Sierra stated, "If you'll listen to me, listen to my side."

Calming her eyes down, Sakura suddenly found herself in Sierra's embrace, causing her to gasp in surprise. A blush covered her face as Sierra sighed and asked, "…how long's it been since…I've held you like this?"

"…nine years, five months, and seven days," Sakura replied quietly.

"Wow," Sierra sighed, "has it really been that long?"

Sierra then cleared her throat and said, "…You never knew about Scarlet…so I don't expect you to know about what made me different from her."

"Scarlet…," Sakura repeated. Sierra nodded, feeling a wave of depression enter her being. With another sigh, Sierra continued, "Scarlet was our oldest sister. I don't expect you to know her since she left the house when you were born."

"Oh," Sakura said, "Dad…always talked about her when I was in training."

"Don't worry," Sierra breathed out, "You weren't yelled at for learning the technique slower than she did."

Sakura slowly turned to look at her older sister, who averted her gaze and continued, "I learned the technique slowly. I took my time with it. However, dad would always yell at me, even though I was academically in the right. My legs felt like they would break, my arms like they were going to fall off, my head rung every night. And I admit it; I'm not the best at using our style of fighting."

"So then…how did you graduate from here?"

"My caretaker," Sierra replied, pulling out a knife similar to the one that she pointed at Sakura the day before. Sakura stared at the small blade as Sierra continued, "I learned how to flip a blade. Learned how to do that a lot faster than throwing a bunch of kicks."

"Kn…knives…?"

"Yeah," Sierra replied, putting the knife away. Sakura furrowed her brow again, pulling herself away from her older sister. Sierra raised an eyebrow in surprise as Sakura turned and said, "Come back."

"!?"

Sierra blinked at her younger sister as Sakura continued, "Come home! Please!"

"Sakura…."

"Mom's worried sick about you! She wants to know if you're okay! Please!"

"Sakura."

Sakura furrowed her brow again, sadness filling her eyes as Sierra averted her gaze downward. She didn't even think to give Sakura an answer. She had made up her mind the moment she left the family home.

"Sakura," Sierra stated, "You'll…always be my sister. That'll never change. But my place is here now. In Vale."

Sakura, let out a small cry as Sierra looked up, seeing her sister on the verge of tears again. Crawling over to her, Sierra pulled Sakura into a hug, holding her close to her chest. Sakura, unable to hold back, let out a croaked cry, wrapping her arms around Sierra's body.

"Sakura...," Sierra continued, "I'm the leader of Team SHLD. I can't just vanish. My life as 'Sakuya' is in the past. I am Sierra Hawthorne."

"Sis…!"

"Shh…," Sierra shushed, holding her sister dearly, "It's alright…big sister's here…."

"Ugh…!"

Sakura looked up at Sierra, her eyes watery as tears flowed down her cheek. Sierra gave her a reassuring smile, touching foreheads with her. Sakura blinked as Sierra said, "Maybe in due time…but right now, I'm needed here. Not in Mistral. Not Vacuo. Not anywhere. I'm needed here, in Vale."

"B…but…!"

"No 'buts,'" Sierra cut in wiping the tears off of Sakura's cheeks. Sakura sniffled, still sobbing occasionally as Sierra stroked the younger girl's hair. The smile came off her face as she looked up at the clock, reading 9 o'clock P.M.

" _That late already,"_ Sierra thought to herself as Sakura tightened her grip. Sierra widened her eyes in surprise and looked down at the younger girl, who looked back up. Azure met azure as Sakura said, "…They'd always compare us all…mom and dad…."

"I would imagine they did," Sierra replied as Sakura finally pushed herself away. Sierra patted the younger girl's head, smiling at her. Sakura sniffled a few more times, then smiled back and said, "I'm glad you're my sister!"

"Heh," Sierra chuckled, "And I'm glad you're _my_ sister."

* * *

Outside the room, a man asked, "So those are your sisters?"

"Yep," a woman replied, readjusting the janitor's cap she was wearing. Scarlet eyes jumped between both silverettes in the room as the man, also wearing janitor's cap, scoffed. The woman's eyes jumped back to the man as he asked, "What're their semblances?"

"The older one controls the flow of time," the woman stated, "As for the younger, I'm not quite sure."

"Okay," the man replied, "But which one is the older and which is the younger?"

The woman didn't reply, opting instead to turn back and look through the door window.

"Scarlet."

"Shush," the woman, Scarlet Trueblood, replied, watching the two closely. Her heart throbbed as she watched them laugh to each other, then walk over to the piles and piles of papers on the teacher's desk. Grimacing, she then forced herself to walk away, pulling the janitor's cart along behind her.

"Hey! Scarlet!"

"Shush," Scarlet repeated. Deep down, she knew which was which. It was such an obvious difference between Sierra and Sakura. However, Scarlet kept their differences a secret. The difference between the two would ultimately be their best shot at defeating any enemies that they might cross.

" _Unfortunately,"_ Scarlet though to herself, albeit disappointed, _"That list includes me…."_

"Scarlet!"

"Shut up, will ya?"


	11. Don't Hesitate

**Sorry y'all, I haven't had the "spark" as of late. So I'm gonna take whoever's advice from the prequel and just take my time with this story as well. ENJOY!**

* * *

"Nn…hmm…."

My eyes fluttered open, the sun's rays beating down on my face, albiet barely as it was just rising past the horizon. I blinked, staring up at my ceiling before turning to my alarm clock, reading 5:15 A.M. Meaning I overslept by 15 minutes. Shit.

Making to get up, I suddenly felt something on my left arm, catching me by surprise. I looked in the direction, sighing, then smiling as I watched Ruby's body slowly rising and falling from her breathing. Bringing my other arm over her, I pulled her into an impromptu hug, closing my eyes again as I enjoyed her presence, feeling a sense of security envelope my entire being.

 _I wish I could hold her like this every morning._

"Hey, Ruby."

Silence.

"Ruuuby."

Still silence.

I began shaking her lightly.

"Ruuubes," I called out, "time to wake up."

"Nnn…," Ruby groaned out, "It's not 7 yet, dad…."

 _Dad? Oh boy._

"Hehe, Ruby," I replied, "When did you grow a daddy complex?"

With that, Ruby's eyes shot open as I met silver orbs.

"Good morning, beautiful," I greeted, smiling at her.

"D…," Ruby said, "Del…ta…?"

With that, she shot up to a sitting position and said, "G-good morn-!"

Only to fall back down to the bed, groaning as she gripped her head in pain.

"Blood rush to your head?"

"Yes…," Ruby cooed out, her eyes opening to meet mine again as I sat up. I kept my smile as I then leaned over, trapping her between my arms as she flipped onto her back, smiling back at me. I followed up by leaning downward, kissing her.

"Mm…," Ruby moaned out, snaking her arms around my neck as I slowly deepened the kiss, but quickly pulled away, earning a groan of disagreement from her.

"Ruby," I said to her, "I gotta get ready for class."

"Aww," she replied, loosening her arms as I stood up and stretched. Just then, an idea popped into my head. My face heated up from the thought as I heard Ruby shuffling out next to me, right about to walk past me before I grabbed her shirt, stopping her.

"But you know," I said, averting my gaze, "You _can_ join me in the shower…."

* * *

I yawned, walking down the hallways with Ruby, who was walking in a slightly awkward manor.

"You didn't have to go so rough on me…," Ruby muttered.

"I'm sorry," I chuckled out, "You're the one whose body matured."

"You now I don't have control over that!"

"I don't have control over my instincts either."

"Uuuu~! Delta!"

I chuckled lightly as Ruby began hammering me lightly with her hands balled up into fists. I gave playful grunts of pain as the hammering quickly ended, catching me by surprise as she suddenly pulled me into a hug. I blinked in surprise, returning the embrace as she mumbled, "…take it easy on me…please."

"Sure thing, Rubes," I replied, smiling.

"Well, you two seem to be getting along well."

We flinched in surprise as I turned around, spotting Sierra walking side by side with Sakura, who was carrying a pile of papers.

"You two as well," I replied as Sakura averted her gaze, a clear blush on her face. Sierra must've sensed it, because she burst out into an uncontrolled laughter, then began explaining something to her. Sakura's face only turned a deeper red, causing me to believe that Sierra was telling her about the times that she nearly walked in on me and Ruby.

… _Uncensored, much?_

"But don't be surprised with the PDA from these two," Sierra finished off. Sakura slowly nodded, the yelped as papers flew everywhere. I cringed, as did Ruby and Sierra, as we looked at Sakura, who was blushing madly in embarrassment.

"I-I'm so sorry, sis!"

Sierra stared at the papers all over the ground, blinking, then laughing as she patted the younger girl on the head and said, "Don't worry about it. Just don't do it again."

Sierra's eyes then glazed red as she asked, "Got it?"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Good!"

With that, Sierra snapped her fingers, the papers suddenly back into a neat pile in mid-air, catching Sakura off guard as she reached out and caught it with an "oomph!"

* * *

"…Alright guys," I called out, "That's good enough."

The two in the ring stepped back from each other, bowing in respect as the bell rang. I looked up at the clock, whistling in surprise from losing track of time.

"You're all free to go," I said, getting a welcome groan of relief as everyone shuffled out of the room. All except Aubrey's team. Looking up, I watched as Eric made his way down to the arena, albeit somewhat distressed. Blinking, I watched as he stopped in front of me and asked, "…why didn't you answer her…?"

"Huh?"

I raised an eyebrow as he suddenly drew a sword on me, stopping just shy of my neck as he yelled, "I won't forgive anyone who hurts Aubrey!"

I kept my eyes on him as he continued, "Even if it's a teacher…!"

"Eric…."

However, he was quick to try to strike me.

Only for a "CLANG" to fill the air.

I blinked in surprise as the rose petals scattered on the ground.

"Ruby?"

"M-Ms. Ruby!"

Ruby was quick to fire a bullet, causing me to duck as Crescent Rose was flung at Eric with blinding speed. The sound of metal smacking against flesh filled the air as Eric went flying towards the wall, causing an explosion. I winced, imagining the pain Eric was probably going through at the moment.

 _Good thing he has aura…._

It was then I took notice of Crescent Rose. The blade was slightly, yet noticeably, longer. There were also visible indents on the shaft, most likely for grip. At the connection area of the shaft and the blade was a visible cross, as well as visible bolts where the blade seemed to have folded in, most likely to aid in weapon storage considering that it was ridiculously bulky last I saw it. However, the scope was no longer in sight, making me wonder if she improved the sniper system at all.

"Ruby…."

Ruby turned to face me as I said, "…I was about to deal with it."

I gripped onto my sword tighter, turning to Eric to see him crawling out of the hole he had made. The sound of Crescent Rose folding up caught my eye as it turned into a literal sniper rifle…well…almost. For the most part, the bottom of the shaft folded into what looked like a square stock, possibly to make a place for extra support for firing a larger caliber. The blade had completely folded up and made what appeared to be the body of the gun, which revealed that the magazine, now holding hefty sized bullets, was now designed to slide into the connection area of the scythe blade and shaft during close range combat. The scope as well also popped out of another internal chamber, causing me to whistle in amazement.

"Wow," I complimented, "Nice work, Rubes!"

"Huh?"

"With Crescent Rose," I continued as she flipped the scythe-sniper rifle onto her back.

"Crescent Rose Mk. II," she corrected as Aubrey suddenly approached me. I raised an eyebrow in surprise as Aubrey then asked, "W…well…? You're…answer…?"

 _Oh shit._

I already knew what she had asked me. Her question was written all over her face. I looked at Ruby, who was staring daggers into me, causing me to sigh out, "Look Aubrey…."

"You see…."

I could then sense Ruby's obvious distress at the whole situation.

"…I can't."

I could feel my gut wrench as Aubrey's expression quickly turned from hopeful to heart broken. Her gaze dropped from mine as her eyes began to grow watery. I sighed, then put a hand on her shoulder, catching her attention as I said, "Aubrey…you're still a student yet."

"B…but…," Aubrey replied, only to get cut off as I closed my eyes and continued, "A student and a teacher shouldn't be in relationships. And also…."

I looked at Ruby, who was glaring daggers into my very being.

"I wouldn't be able to, anyway."

Just then, I felt someone's fingers intertwine with mine, causing me to open my eyes. Ruby looked up at me, her eyes still narrowed a bit, then turned to face Aubrey. Rose petals fluttered down onto the arena flooring as Aubrey, who was blushing, as well as looking at us in shock, remained silent. There was a silence before Ruby stated, "I know how you feel…but there are others who you should start noticing as well."

"I can concur," I replied, looking at Eric, who was glaring daggers into me as well. I sighed, giving a slight push on Ruby with my free hand, getting her to let go of me. I then walked over to Eric, hearing the other two preparing their weapons to attack. However, I paid no mind to it as I asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"Why're you hesitating?"

"Why am I-!?"

"Forget it," I sighed out, "Wait any longer and you might just regret it."

"What are you talking about," Eric asked, giving away the signs that he knew what I was talking about.

"Look Eric," I replied, "Don't make the mistake I made."

"Huh?"

"I waited too long as well," I stated, "And karma's a bitch…you'll learn that soon enough…given you wait for her."

Eric slowly nodded in understanding, allowing me to let out a sigh of relief as he immediately walked up to Aubrey, who was still looking down and depressed.

"Aubrey!"

The girl flinched as Eric grabbed her hands and stated, "We're partners! As well as best friends, but that's beyond the point. Anyway, PLEASE BE MY GIRLFRIEND!"

I looked away almost immediately, feeling my face heat up.

 _I didn't think it was going to be_ _ **this**_ _embarrassing to see someone announce their feelings!_

* * *

 **If y'all are wondering what I modeled the gun version of Crescent Rose as, I was actually thinking about the Barret .50 cal sniper rifle. See y'all next time!**


	12. Being a Sister

**Hello again, everybody! I actually had this chapter done for a while, so my apologies. This chapter's shorter than the others, so please bear with me, and enjoy!**

* * *

"…Ruby…."

"Hmm?"

"…what're you doing?"

Ruby released my member from her mouth with an audible "POP" and replied, "What? Is it wrong to call you mine?"

Having finished classes for the day, Ruby and I had returned to my room to correct papers. However, almost immediately after I had sat down, Ruby had dropped down to her knees and pulled out my member. I was a little surprised, but I paid no mind to it as she began to give me an impromptu blowjob.

"Since when did you get so overprotective?"

"Since," Ruby replied, bringing herself up to my level, "We started going out…five…years…ago—ah!"

Ruby threw her head back as my breath hitched, feeling her sink down on me. Heat immediately enveloped me as Ruby necked me, letting out another moan as she rocked her hips. I sighed, wrapping my arms around her and saying, "Jeez, Rubes…."

"Hehe," Ruby giggled, "You're mine…All mine!"

* * *

"Phew…," Hotel sighed out, enjoying the feeling of Yang lying on him.

"Gee babe," Yang stated, "Did you get bigger?"

"I wouldn't say 'bigger,'" Hotel replied, "I'd just say more solid."

"That works too," Yang said, bringing herself up to his face. She stared down at Hotel, smiling as he sighed and reciprocated. The two then shared a kiss, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. Pulling away, Hotel looked at the door, then got up as Yang rolled off of him, watching him walk over to the door.

"Yo!"

"Sierra?"

"The one and only! Anyway, is Yang with you?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"I need her help with something."

"…okay…?"

Turning around, Hotel was about to call to her before she appeared behind him and asked, "What's up?"

"Come with me," Sierra stated, dragging Yang out with her.

* * *

"What's up?"

Sierra looked up at the taller girl, blushing as she sat down in the teacher's lounge, Yang taking a seat opposite of her.

"H…how…do I act as a big sister…?"

Yang blinked, slowly comprehending the question as Sierra dropped her head into her arms. Embarrassment flooded her system as she fidgeted uncomfortably, remembering how Sakura would always get flustered whenever she was around her. Yang suddenly burst out into a laugh, catching Sierra's predatory gaze as she replied, "Just act like you usually do!"

"Huh?"

"There's no formula to being an older sister," Yang continued, "Just act like you usually do with everyone else…except just remember that they're your family."

"Just act normally, huh," Sierra repeated as Yang stood up, walking over to the coffee machine.

"How do you like your coffee?"

"Get me hot chocolate," Sierra answered, hearing Yang pour some liquids into a cup. Looking up, she watched as Yang walked back over and set the cup in front of her with a spoon already in it. Looking at it with curiosity, Sierra began stirring the liquid as Yang sat back down on her spot across from her, setting her own cup down.

The two sat in silence for a bit, only the slurping of liquids from the cups filling the air, until Sierra finally asked, "…You know Sakura?"

"Hmm? Sakura?"

"That's a no," Sierra stated, taking another sip from the hot chocolate.

"Hmm," Yang replied, "That other silverette who looks surprisingly like you, you mean?"

"…Never mind," Sierra corrected herself as Yang took another sip of her coffee, then said, "What about her? She your sister or something?"

"Bingo," Sierra answered, "I haven't seen her for nine years and suddenly here she is back in my life."

"Ooooh," Yang exclaimed, understanding Sierra's situation. Just then, the door opened, catching the pairs' attention. The familiar gray hair of Ozpin entered the room as he asked, "Oh? Hello Sierra. Yang."

"Hello," both of the girls replied as Ozpin refilled his signature mug and walked over to them. Taking a seat, the girls became quiet. Ozpin took a sip from his mug, then spoke up.

"What is the matter?"

"Oh," Sierra said, "Well…I have a bit of a…well…'situation.'"

"Situation?"

"Yeah," Sierra replied, propping an elbow onto the table. Yang stood back up and began to make her way towards the coffee machine. Ozpin took another sip and asked, "It's about Sakura, correct?"

Sierra jumped in her seat, then turned and asked, "H-how did you…?"

"You see," Ozpin stated, "When Sakura was first accepted into the school, she saw your picture on our wall of honors."

"…No wonder…," Sierra mumbled, then felt a light bulb click in her head as she then asked, "Wait, is that why my team was…!?"

"Correct," Ozpin replied, "I did not want to ask you or your team at first, but then I didn't have any other team to turn to."

"Grr…," Sierra mumbled, dropping into her arms, "What a drag…."

"I understand that you're upset," Ozpin stated, "But please know; the bond between family, especially between sisters-," he turned to Yang, "-is a bond that is very strong."

"…is that so…," Sierra mumbled, immediately thinking about Scarlet.

"That involves Scarlet, as well," Ozpin stated as Yang sat down. Sierra half-lidded her eyes, thinking about how her older sister would always welcome her home with a smile and how she would always comfort her after training sessions. Groaning, Sierra dug her face in her arms deeper as Yang said, "So just act like yourself! And make sure you're nice to her!"

* * *

Sakura yawned, stepping out of her team's room as one of the members yelled out to her to get them something to drink. She was about to yell something back before she ran into something with an "Oomph!" Stepping back, she was quick to apologize before she felt her uniform getting fixed up, then heard Sierra's voice saying, "Keep your head up; eyes forward; and uniform tidy."

Looking up, she saw Sierra smiling down at her as she continued, "And here's a little cash for the vending machine."

Sierra then pulled Sakura's hand, slapping a wad of cash into her hand.

Sakura blinked in surprise and confusion as Sierra then said, "Now, those drinks aren't going to buy themselves."

"Uh-huh…," Sakura replied, eying Sierra suspiciously. Sierra blinked, confused as she read Sakura's eyes. Half-lidding her eyes, Sierra then gave the younger girl a light karate chop on the head as she said, "…get outta here already."

"Y-yes ma'am!"

With that, Sakura took off. Sierra chuckled to herself, walking off in the opposite direction. However, she then heard a voice yell, "Sakura! Get moving!"

Freezing time, Sierra sighed, walking back towards the voice, spotting a boy sticking his head out of the door Sakura had walked out of. Standing in front of the boy, Sierra raised an eye brow in curiosity, then took a peek into the room, spotting two more boys joking around. Furrowing her brow, Sierra then muttered, "…how the hell did you end up on an all guys team…?"

Unfreezing time, Sierra grabbed the boy's ear, receiving a well-received yelp and scream of pain. Sierra grinned sadistically as the boy began trying to claw her off. Sierra then slammed the boy against the door frame and said, "Who are you calling 'Sakura?'"

The boy's eyes seemingly widened with fear as Sierra continued, "It's Ms. Hawthorne to you, brat!"


	13. Blown Cover?

**Hello again, everybody! Sorry I haven't been updating; school's been crazy with me adjusting to an ever increase in classes. Anyway, shorter chapter, but do hope y'all enjoy. So on that note, ENJOY! -Pichu**

* * *

"…No no no," Ruby replied to me as she performed maintenance on Alternate Echo, my long-time partner and main sword sheath. I had opted to make it thinner to make for easier transportation, as well as easier to draw my swords in combat. Regardless, I sighed as Ruby removed her goggles and turned back to me, saying, "You can't just randomly be carrying it around!"

"Why? Sometimes I don't want to draw my swords and use it as a bat instead!"

"Delta!"

I chuckled, watching as Ruby grew increasingly agitated. She narrowed her gaze at me as she turned back to my sword sheath, sliding her goggles back over her eyes. I couldn't help but grin as I stood up from the seat I was on, stretching. With a groan, I then looked back at Ruby, who was diligently working on my sheath, allowing me to sneak up on her. The light buzzing of electricity quickly became audible as she lifted her goggles again and turned to me and asked, "…Need something?"

"…No," I replied, wrapping my arms around her as I continued, "How do you tell if the circuits are incorrect?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow at my question, then sighed as she jerked her head, the goggles sliding back over her eyes as she answered, "I'll let you figure that out yourself."

"Aww," I replied, "Ruuuby."

Ruby ignored me.

"C'mon, Rubes."

Still ignored me.

"Ruuuby."

Finally, Ruby sighed, slipping out of my grasp as she said, "You can fix it yourself."

"Huh!?"

Ruby gave me a stern look as she said, "You need to know how your own weapon functions, Del."

"But Ruby-!"

"No 'buts,'" she replied, throwing the goggles at me, "Get started. I'll be back in half-an-hour."

Ruby then motioned to leave, only for me to grab her.

"I'm sorry! I won't annoy you anymore!"

Ruby slowly turned back to me, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"…You won't?"

"I won't!"

"…You swear?"

"I swear!"

She kept her gaze on me, unimpressed.

"…go kill yourself," Ruby muttered, turning away from me again.

"…Alright."

"Huh!?"

Immediately, she turned around as I turned around to Alternate Echo, pulling one of my swords out.

"W-wait!"

"Why? You told me to kill myself, Ruby."

"Not literally, you idiot!"

Suddenly, Ruby had her hand on mine as I grinned dropping my sword and pulling her into a hug. I could feel her stiffen up as I nuzzled my face into the crook of her neck, getting a quiet moan from her. Slowly, she began to limp up as I took in the scent of strawberries, smiling at the scent I had grown so accustomed to.

"Got you," I stated, hearing her sigh and say, "You're not fair…."

"I'm never fair, Rubes," I replied, "Not to you, anyway."

"Hmph," Ruby snorted, her arms slowly snaking around my body as she continued, "But really; I need a break too. I'm still human, here."

"Yeah yeah," I replied, "I understand, love."

* * *

Sierra continued following Sakura around, listening to her stories of middle school after she had left home. Sakura's enthusiasm ceased to amaze Sierra, who only smiled as she spent time with the younger girl. The latter kept a smile on her face as well, also enjoying the company of her elder sister.

"Sierra?"

Just then, Sierra turned to the right, spotting Echo, who was walking over to them.

"Echo!"

Running up to him, Sierra threw herself at her boyfriend, who caught her and said, "Damn you've gotten short!"

However, Echo ended up on the ground, cupping his crotch uncomfortably as he rolled around.

"You ass!"

Sakura, confused, walked up to Sierra and asked, "Umm…sis…? Who's this…?"

"Oh, right," Sierra replied, "This is my boyfriend, Echo."

"Echo? He looks like Mr. Ordance."

"That's cuz he's Delta's cousin," Sierra continued, "Though why they look alike is beyond me. However, if you know who you're looking for, it's really easy to differentiate between the two."

"Huh," Sakura replied, "I…honestly don't see a difference."

"Well," Sierra answered, "Echo's a shade lighter with the eyes, he doesn't have violet highlights anymore, and he's taller than D. Plus-," Sierra then picked Echo up, "-Delta doesn't have as much of a childish personality as this one does."

"That hurt…," Echo groaned out, opening his eyes, meeting violet orbs with blue. Blinking, he stared on, entranced as Sierra put her forehead on his and said, "I'm busy at the moment. Catch you later?"

With a sigh, Echo got back to his feet and groaned, "Sure…."

Echo then limped off, only to get stopped as Sierra appeared in front of him, time frozen in place as she took a kiss from him and said, "My room later…'kay?"

"…alright," Echo sighed, kissing her again as they went their separate ways, time unfreezing as Sierra caught up to Sakura. However, Sierra spotted Sakura talking to who appeared to be a janitor. Blinking, Sierra walked up to them and said, "Hello."

"Oh, hello," a feminine voice stated, keeping their eyes under their hat. Sierra blinked, keeping an eye on the janitor who sounded oddly familiar. Sakura, however, remained oblivious as she then said, "I'm gonna go to class now, miss janitor. Thanks and I'll keep an eye out!"

The janitor simply chuckled as another janitor appeared and said in a man's voice, "Hey, time for the next hallway."

"Yes," the feminine one stated, dragging her cart along. Immediately, Sierra took note of crimson red hair and froze time for all except the female janitor. She narrowed her gaze, already recognizing the person and said, "…Drop the act, Scarlet. I know it's you."

There was silence, followed by chuckling as the feminine voice stated, "You haven't lost a step, have you?"

Turning around, Sierra eyed the woman, who had taken her hat off, her crimson irises meeting Sierra's blue irises as the two eyed each other down. Sierra's eyes quickly glazed red as well as Scarlet completely turned around, leaning on the mop in her hands. The woman, with a smile on her face, chuckled again and asked, "We have quite the enthusiastic little sister, wouldn't you say?"

"Leave Sakura out of this," Sierra replied, "If there's gonna be a fight, it's between you and me."

"I'd also love to dance with you, little sister," Scarlet said back, readjusting her hat, "But do you really think it's wise we use this school as our battleground?"

"I never said here," Sierra stated, "If we fight here, you won't stand a chance."

"I'd like to differ," Scarlet replied, turning around. Sierra kept her eyes on her as she then mumbled, "Though I'd honestly rather not fight anyone."

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Sierra replied, turning back around. She then heard Scarlet mumble something, but paid no mind to it as she unfroze time, grabbing Sakura by the collar of her shirt, receiving a gawking noise from the younger girl. Scarlet grinned, turning away from them as her subordinate caught up and said, "Phew! That was close!"

"…glad to see you too, sis," Scarlet mumbled to herself as they went off to continue their job.

* * *

"Hah…," Sierra sighed, falling into Echo's chest. Echo sighed as well, wrapping his arms around her as she nuzzled into him comfortably. Sierra's heart fluttered, relaxing into his embrace, as well as the rhythm of his breathing, his chest rising and falling with every breath and exhale.

"You seem uneasy," Echo stated, catching Sierra's attention, causing her to look up.

"Yeah," Sierra replied, dropping her head onto his chest again, "You could say that…."

"What's up?"

"Oh," she continued, "Just…family issues…."

"With Sakura?"

"No."

"Then who? Your parents?"

"Not even close."

"Unless you have a sister I don't know about."

"Bingo."

Immediately, Echo craned his neck to look at her, eyes wide in surprise.

"You never told me you had an _older_ sister," he stated, surprised. Sierra shifted uncomfortably against him, then rolled off, sighing. Sitting up, she turned to face him as she said, "Scarlet Trueblood…my older sister who had excused herself from my life since Sakura was born."

"Oh?"

"Yep," Sierra sighed out, falling back down onto his lap. Echo sat up, stroking her silver hair as she looked up, blue meeting violet. Frowning, Sierra then said, "…I think you would've gotten along with her if you had met her."

"You really think so?"

"Damn right I do," Sierra continued, rolling herself so she faced away from his body. Blinking, Echo sighed, then smiled, turning her face towards his. Sierra blinked as he stated, "I don't think so."

"Huh?"

"You're the only for me, Si," he stated. Sierra blinked, confused as to how he referred to her. Echo immediately comprehended her confused look and asked, "What? I can't call you by 'Si?'"

"Oh," Sierra replied, finally comprehending what he had said, "S-sorry! Of course you can call me by that!"

"Good," Echo replied, lifting her head off his lap. Sierra kept her eyes on him as he picked her up, gasping in surprise as Echo flopped back onto her bed, having her lay on him once more. Smiling, Echo sighed in content and said, "I wouldn't look at anyone but you, Si."

"Pfft," Sierra joked, "Not what I saw five years ago, asshole."

"O-Oh, w-well," Echo stammered, remembering that one lucky kiss that underclassman had taken from him. Sierra smiled to herself, closing her eyes as she relaxed into him again, listening to the steady beating of his heart. Nuzzling her face comfortably, she then asked, "Hey, Echo?"

"What's up?"

"Umm…," she reluctantly asked, "Are you…thinking about…settling down soon?"

Echo blinked, comprehending what Sierra had just asked. Looking down at the mop of silver, he blinked several more times as Sierra snuck her arms around his shoulders. He couldn't help but smile as she then said, "S-sorry…forget what I just-."

"Soon."

"Huh?"

"Soon, love," Echo replied, "Not too soon…but soon."


	14. Duty Complete

**Hello! Kunichiwa! Gibberish! Anyway, I finally finished this and, surprise! The team's all done at Beacon! Hurray!**

 **...Yeah, whatever. Just enjoy.**

* * *

"Thank you, Team SHLD," Ozpin stated. Sierra was quick to bow, followed by Hotel, Lima, then me. Ozpin simply smiled, then said, "You did a fine job as temporary teachers. In fact, I would've preferred if you would stay to help the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses."

"Nah," I was quick to reply, "I'd rather not, honestly."

"Delta!"

I turned to Sierra, who was shooting me a quiet glare, only for Ozpin to chuckle and say, "Do not worry; I understand. Being so young, you would much rather be out on the field than here."

 _Exactly._

"You are being released back to your daily lives," Ozpin stated, "However, I'll need Sierra to stay behind."

"Huh? O-okay," Sierra replied as we quickly left the room.

Lima's ears almost immediately folded as she sighed out, "…thank goodness…."

"I hear you," Hotel replied, cracking his knuckles as he continued, "I was about ready to beat some kids to a pulp!"

"Don't worry Hotel," I stated, "You acted _almost_ the same."

Hotel shot me a glare, but then glanced away as he said, "…I guess."

Just then, I caught sight of Aubrey and her team, which I had come to learn that their team name was Team TERA. I blinked as Eric and Aubrey laughed while the anonymous member, who finally had their hood off, poked at Terrence playfully. I immediately took note of the mix of jet black and orange hair and amber eyes as I immediately veered my course towards them, catching their attention. Eric and Aubrey's eyes immediately locked onto me while Terrence paid little attention. The anonymous member, who I identified as a girl, turned her attention on me and said, "Bonjour enseignant."

 _Hmm. Nice accent._

"To you too, miss," I replied as I nodded at the two who had their eyes on me. Aubrey immediately averted her gaze as Eric sighed. Terrence yawned, then asked, "What? Gonna bother us again?"

"Actually," I replied, "I'm telling you guys that my job's done here."

"Huh?"

That apparently caught their attention as they all looked at me, surprise written all over their faces.

"Yeah," I continued, "I was only a temporary teacher. I don't have anything left to do here, so I'm getting out of your lives now."

"O-oh," Aubrey said, albeit disappointedly. I frowned, seeing Eric's obvious distraught as the other girl of their group said, "Sacre Bleu! So soon!"

"Meh," I replied, "Once y'all graduate, y'all will get used to getting moved around."

"I meant," the other girl finally said in non-french, "I really was hoping you would be able to teach us more fighting techniques, no?"

 _Hmm…._

I turned back to my team, only to see Lima suddenly in my face. I let out a yelp of surprise, getting a flinch from her at the close-range high frequency pitch I had just let out, her ears folding as she doubled over, hands over her head as she trembled in pain. Hotel whistled, then approached us as he said, "Jeez, D! Calm down!"

"I-I'm sorry, Lima!"

I immediately bent over to help her, getting a grunt of mild annoyance as she gave me a karate chop, causing me to flinch slightly. She frowned, then sighed as she rubbed her cheek on mine. I sighed, unable to contain my smile as I began petting her, receiving her wagging ears, as well as her pleased moans.

Just then, the anonymous member walked over, catching Lima's attention as said partner immediately began circling the younger girl curiously, taking occasional sniffs from her. I chuckled slightly as Lima looked at her hair, then her eyes, then studied her body. I then turned to Terrence, shrugging as he looked on, dumbfounded. I then heard Lima's pleased mewls, causing me to turn around to see the girl rubbing Lima's head.

"Alright Ambrose," Sierra's voice called out, "That's enough."

Sierra suddenly appeared behind the girl, whose last name was apparently "Ambrose," as Lima immediately began crawling all over said leader. Sierra followed Lima, who was rubbing herself all over, then sighed as she pushed her away slightly, getting a whine of disappointment as she sadly trudged her way over to me. I pat her shoulder as Sierra stated, "By the way Redwood…did you have something you wanted to ask Hotel?"

"Huh?"

 _That's a bit of a surprise._

I looked at Hotel, who was just as surprised as Aubrey quickly averted her gaze.

… _Seriously, she needs a crazy confidence boost or something._

"Umm…uhh…," Aubrey stammered, "Umm…I…I'd…like if you could…teach me some more…."

Hotel blinked, slowly comprehending what she had just asked. I silently dropped my jaw in shock. Sierra did the same, followed by Lima's ears perked up in surprise. Hotel was quick to start chuckling, then walked up to her and said, "…I don't need to teach you anymore."

"Huh?"

"Spears are mostly instinctive," Hotel stated, "I might be able to show you something that can make you more comfortable, but it's up to you to be able to go through the motions."

"Oh," Aubrey replied, "Okay…so then…that's a no…?"

"No you dolt," he continued, "Just go with what you're comfortable with."

"Comfortable with…," Aubrey repeated. Just then, I took note of Eric approaching me. I looked at him as she sighed, opting to stand next to me. I blinked, then looked down at his swords, which looked awfully plain, complimenting his odd, yet unique style.

"…Could you teach me too, sometime?"

I immediately widened my eyes in surprise at his question. He kept his gaze averted as his ears turned red. I laughed internally as I sighed, patting him on the back, a grin plastered on my face.

"Eric," I stated, "I'm no good at using a wooden sword."

Eric immediately turned to me as I continued, "But I could possibly direct you to someone who could help."

* * *

"So you're gonna leave?"

Sierra nodded, folding the last of her shirts as Sakura continued spinning in the nearby desk chair. Immediately, Sierra could sense the drop in mood, causing her to turn around and stop her sister's spinning. Grabbing onto the back rest, Sierra laughed as Sakura was nearly flung off, grabbing onto the back of the girl's shirt. Sakura suddenly found herself landing on her sister's bed, causing her to grunt as a hand suddenly jabbed the spot next to her head. Looking up, her eyes met Sierra's as the older girl licked her lips and said, "You know…if you need somewhere to stay during the summer…."

"S…sis…ter…?"

"You can stay with me," Sierra whispered, leaning down and licking the younger girl's neck, causing her to gasp.

"W…wait…," Sakura moaned out, attempting to push Sierra off.

Sierra smiled, then pulled away, then began laughing again. Sakura's eyes shot open in confusion as Sierra began rolling on the ground uncontrollably, holding her stomach. Sitting up, Sakura watched as Sierra finally recomposed herself, sitting and wiping away a tear as she said, "You're such an airhead! I wouldn't do that to you even if it meant your life!"

A hiss suddenly filled the air.

Sierra looked at her younger sister, seeing steam pouring out of her ears as she suddenly fell back onto the bed. Sierra stood up and looked at the empty eyes of Sakura, seeing her with a nervous smile and an occasional twitch. Sierra chuckled a bit, then sat next to her younger sister who, unbeknownst to her, had passed out.

"Sakura?"

Sierra shook her a bit.

"Sakura?"

She then waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sakura?"

She then shook her again.

"Oh shit! Sakura!"

* * *

"Great job, asshole," I stated, clapping my hands in a slow, mocking gesture. Sierra immediately glared daggers at me as Lima continued fanning the younger girl's head with a paper fan. Hotel held his laughter back, chuckling occasionally as Sierra sighed, then said, "Geez…I was only teasing her."

Just then, a small moan emitted from Sakura's lips.

"Mm…sis…."

"Oh, you're awake," Sierra said, only to be answered with, "mm…more…please…."

I slowly comprehended what Sakura had said.

"More…please…more…."

Immediately, Hotel excused himself from the room. I found myself slowly growing hot as Sakura suddenly buried her head in Lima's lap, catching her off guard. Sierra's jaw dropped in sheer shock and surprise as Lima squealed in uncomfortableness.

"More…," Sakura continued mumbling before she was suddenly lifted up, her eyes cracking open a bit as Sierra suddenly grabbed a bucket, splashing the younger girl with ice cold water. An ear piercing scream filled the air as I cringed, my ears ringing as Sakura began shivering, holding her arms.

"C-c-c-cold," Sakura chattered, "S-s-so c-c-c-cold...!"

"Just what the hell are you dreaming about, exactly," Sierra muttered to herself, then threw the bucket on Sakura's head, effectively blinding the girl, who clawed at it as Sierra gave it a good jab, getting a scream of pain from Sakura. Sierra sighed, then took the bucket off as she frowned at the girl. Sakura blinked several times, then blushed as she asked, "…did…you hear that…?"

We all nodded, causing her to turn a bright red as she made to run out of the room, only to get yanked by the collar of her shirt as Sierra pulled her in to sit on her lap. I motioned towards Lima, who happily leaped off Sierra's bed and left the room. I left just as quickly as Sierra began having idle chat with Sakura.

* * *

"So I take it you haven't found any weaknesses yet?"

Scarlet peaked around the corner into the hallway, watching as Hotel, Lima, and Delta walked past, talking to each other. She slapped her colleague, who let out a gawk, then motioned a finger over her lips, telling him to be quiet. The man simply shrugged as she motioned that the faunus girl had super senses, finally getting an "Ooooh" in response.

Walking away from the group, the Scarlet finally answered, "I've seen plenty of weaknesses already."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yeah," she replied, "really."

"Well then? What're you waiting for? Spill it out!"

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, unimpressed at her colleague's curiosity.

"…Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"Forget it," she replied, walking away from him as she muttered to herself, "What did Torchwick see in you?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Scarlet said back, turning another corner and grabbing onto the janitor's bucket that they had left behind.

The man was quick to follow as he continued his entourage of questions.

"What's the best attack point? Where's the defenses of the school weakest? When this is all said and done, wanna go on a date?"

Scarlet's heel was quickly within inches of the man's face as she said, "You need to up your observation skills, and no, I won't go on a date with you."

The man, shaking in fright, slowly nodded as Scarlet continued, "Well then…sorry about this."

Suddenly, a kick to the gut knocked the wind out of the man as he doubled over, only to feel a hard chop on the back of his neck as he effectively fell and hit the ground hard. Scarlet scoffed, furrowing her brow at having done the same act so many different times. Suddenly, footsteps caught her attention as she turned around, her crimson eyes meeting brown as a familiar voice asked, "I hope you are doing well?"

"I'm doing well enough," Scarlet replied, picking her now unconscious colleague up and throwing him the bucket as the man who approached her asked, "So has your sister."

"Please Ozpin," Scarlet stated, looking at the headmaster, "Sierra, let alone Sakura, has no interest in welcoming _me_ back in their lives."

"Hmm," Ozpin replied, "Then why is it that you are here?"

Scarlet patted her hands, then averted her gaze. She finally had the chance to see the older of the two five years ago, and now she had finally seen the youngest. A familiar sense of pain filled her heart again as she thought of how things might've been different all those years ago if she hadn't left.

"…Okay," she finally admitted, "Maybe I was a _little_ worried…."

Ozpin simply chuckled before approaching her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Scarlet looked at the older man, who took a sip from his mug, then met her eyes. Ozpin smiled, then said, "You need not worry. Her team is keeping her safe."

"I know…," Scarlet replied as Ozpin said, "You are also doing fine with your mission. You're almost finished."

"Yes," she relied again, feeling a small sense of relief that her role was almost finished.

"Now then," Ozpin stated, "This is probably going to be the last time you'll see Sierra. Please do take your time and visit her."

"Oh...talking with-ugh-the enemy now...Scarlet?"

"Oh for the love of…," Scarlet sighed out before focusing her aura to her legs, her blood thickening as she sent a kick to his head, beheading her now former colleague, sending it flying down the hallway.

"Oops," she said, "Now my job just got harder."

"Oh my," Ozpin replied in shock and surprise before clearing his throat and saying, "But please…do be careful."

"Yes sir," Scarlet replied, readjusting her hat that had gone crooked.

* * *

 **Oooooooohhhhh...incest = wincest. Jk, but I just couldn't help but put something like that in here. Anyway, I hope y'all continue reading. It seems like nobody reads anymore with school up and going already.**


	15. Drunk Nights

**Hello again, y'all! Have I really grown that unpopular, or is everyone just busy? I hope it's the latter. Oh yeah; Choasstripe, please calm your friend down. We don't need any dead bodies...or unconscious ones for that matter either. Delta will get his time soon enough. Well, enjoy! -Pichu**

 **...Oops, almost forgot this.**

 **LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT**

* * *

"Three cheers for a mission complete!"

The tavern cheered as Sierra and Hotel both happily chugged down their cups of alcohol. I sighed, smiling as Lima sipped away at her cup of juice, her ears wagging happily. I immediately took notice, turning to face her to see her face flushed as she let out a content sigh, her ears flopping down lazily as she took another sip of her…well…I was hesitant to say juice at this point.

"Lima? Are you alright?"

My faunus partner nodded lazily before slamming face first on the table. I winced in pain, slowly opening my eyes to see her sound asleep. I blinked in confusion before taking her cup, taking a sniff of it, realizing that someone had laced it with alcohol. I sighed, turning to Sierra who was waving around her still full cup of whiskey.

"Delta?"

I turned around at the sound of my name being called, spotting Ruby.

 _Huh? Why's Ruby here?_

"Hiya," I replied as she took a seat on my lap, catching the tavern by surprise.

Ruby blinked, her face turning red as she asked, "Umm…did I do something wrong?"

"Rubes…," I stated, "Please remember my _dad_ owns this place…."

Ruby blinked again, then looked around before my dad's voice said, "Hello, Ruby."

I felt her flinch, then turn to see my dad carrying another crate of bottles as she quickly replied, "H-Hello!"

The tavern slowly began to regain life as I sighed, lifting Ruby off of me and asking her, "Mind helping Lima out?"

"Huh? Lima?"

"Yeah," I continued, "She's knocked out."

"Oh, sure-."

"Open up, D!"

I suddenly felt someone lean me back as I felt what felt like a bottle being shoved into my mouth. I felt the burn of alcohol enter my mouth as I instinctively bean swallowing, feeling my stomach begin to burn as the rest of the bottle's contents entered my stomach. Sierra and Hotel both burst out laughing as I felt my world go dizzy.

* * *

"Ruby..."

Ruby turned around, seeing Delta rocking back and forth as Sierra yelled out, "Atta boy, Delta!"

Delta's eyes turned into swirls as he continued rocking, suddenly slamming his head against the table rather painfully. Ruby winced as Lima, who had woken up, walked over to him, sniffing him. A smile remained plastered on her face, her ears lazily wagging as she playfully said, "Wakey wakey~."

Ruby sighed, smiling herself as Sierra swung an arm around her shoulder and said, "Hiya Rosey~! Mind taking Delta home~?"

"Umm…sure…?"

Ruby blinked, confused, as she slung Delta's arm over her shoulder, walking out of the tavern.

* * *

"This should be it," Ruby said to herself, pulling a key out of Delta's pocket. Delta let out an occasional groan as Ruby turned the lock open, opening the door, pulling the key out of the key hole and walking into a surprisingly clean house. Closing the door behind her, she let out a groan as she closed and locked the door, setting the key on the table as she walked towards the living room, laying Delta on the couch. She stroked some bangs out of his face, smiling the serene look on his face as she took a kiss from him and said, "You have a nice place, Del."

Ruby then stood up and stretched. Groaning, she turned towards the kitchen, spotting an unopened package of cookie dough on the counter, then said, "I think I'll make something for him when he wakes up!"

* * *

Delta's eyes fluttered open, smelling cookies. Albeit hazily, he stood up, then walked over to the doorway to the kitchen, hazily seeing Ruby with a tray of cookies, her hood set on the coat hanger and her sleeves rolled up. Blinking, he looked his girlfriend up and down, feeling adrenaline spiking through his system as the alcohol raged through his blood.

Ruby felt eyes on her, causing her to turn around and see Delta standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Del! Good evening!"

Delta remained silent as Ruby walked over to him, smiling.

"I made some cookies for you," she said, about to turn around. However, she was stopped as Delta grabbed her arm, catching her attention as he turned her around. Ruby blinked in confusion as Delta said, "…Ruby…."

" _His voice,"_ Ruby immediately noted to herself, growing a little nervous.

Delta then kissed her, catching her off guard as he looped his arms around her back. Ruby blinked, comprehending what he had done as his tongue pried between her lips, exploring her mouth as she widened her eyes in surprise. Delta pulled away briefly, allowing Ruby to say, "D-Del-?"

Immediately, she shut her eyes as he took another kiss from her. Just then, she tasted the lingering taste of alcohol in his mouth as his mouth invaded hers again. Gripping his shirt, she felt her chest flare up, her face heating up as they pulled away, Ruby gasping for breath. Delta smiled, causing an explosion of heat in her crotch, her legs buckling as he stated, "You're so cute, Rubes."

"W-wait Del-!"

Quickly, he took her lips again, picking her up and walking her to his bedroom. Ruby blinked, falling on his bed as he hovered over her, his amethyst irises glowing in the moonlight. Blinking, she couldn't help but bring her arms to her chest as he leaned down and licked her neck, getting a gasp from her as he said, "You're so cute…Rubes…."

"D-Deellll," Ruby gasped out, closing her legs together as Delta's hands began trailing down her body, caressing her curves. Ruby squeezed her eyes, now growing watery, as she felt her body needing more and more oxygen. She squealed again as Delta lifted her shirt up, then kissed her belly.

"Ruby…," Delta breathed out, licking up her stomach, then her neck, the kissing her cheek. Adrenaline raced throughout Ruby's system. When they had gotten back together, they were just looking to do it to remember each other's touch. This slow love making was slowly driving her insane.

"Del…," Ruby whimpered out as Delta hike her shirt past her breasts, sliding her bra up with it as he stared and said, "…beautiful."

"P-please stop," Ruby stated, "Its…embarrassing…."

Delta simply chuckled, then traced her legs, still covered in her stockings as he slowly peeled off the offending articles that kept him from touching her bare skin. Electricity ran rampant throughout Ruby's body as she curled her toes, gasping as Delta slowly split her legs apart. Sliding her panties down, Ruby covered her eyes in embarrassment as Delta slid her skirt down with it.

Smiling, Delta looked at the part of her that he had grown so familiar with.

"D…Del…?"

Ruby then yelped as Delta kissed her lower lips, then stuck his tongue into her, causing her to squeeze her legs against head. Her hands immediately shot down and began gripping his hair, her body growing uncomfortable as she squirmed around, letting out moans at the strange texture of his tongue. Her toes began curling as Delta smiled, enjoying how she was squirming from his entourage of near orgasmic attacks.

"Ugh! Hah~! D-Del—hah~," Ruby moaned out, feeling a coil beginning to stretch. She grit her teeth, her eyes shutting tight as she arched her back, her head snapping backwards as the coil snapped. Delta lapped up her juices as she let out a loud yelp, her hands gripping his hair harder.

Smiling again, Delta pulled away, staring as Ruby trembled, her hands on her stomach as she gasped for breath. Slowly, Delta pulled his shirt off, then moved on to his pants as he quickly worked on Ruby, who was still recovering from her orgasm. However, as he repositioned her Ruby looked up and asked, "D…Del…? Wha…are you…?"

"Ruby…," Delta huskily replied, lust and need filled in the tone as he pushed himself into her, getting a gasp as he immediately came, letting out a groan. Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as she gasped, feeling heat filling her abdomen as Delta rested on her, his breath filling her ear as their hearts began to synchronize.

"Del…! It's…not safe today…!"

Ruby wrapped her arms around his back as he hummed and continued, "Ruby…! Ruby…!"

Pulling back, Ruby let out an involuntary gasp as Delta said, "I love you, Rubes~."

Pushing back into her, Delta was answered with a yelp, then a steady stream of moans as Ruby closed her eyes. The sinful sound of flesh smacking against flesh, as well as the Ruby's moans and Delta's occasional grunts, filled the room. Deep in the back of Ruby's mind, she knew she had gotten off of Yang's birth control, having seen no reason to take it anymore as she hadn't had sex in the year that she was separated from Delta.

"Del—ah—don't! Don't cum—ah—inside me!"

"Why?"

"I'm—nn—not on—ah-!"

Delta simply chuckled to himself, then lifted her lips some as he said, "Then…let's have a baby, Rubes."

"W-wai—ah! W-we c-can't—ah!"

"Let's—nn-have a baby," Delta repeated, "We can have a baby girl…so you can take her shopping with you…and dress her up…and…."

Ruby suddenly began imagining being a mom, growing up with a daughter, raising them with Delta. Her womb throbbed, causing her to let out a shriek as she shut her eyes, involuntarily hugging him tighter. Delta groaned, feeling her nails dig into his back, but blocked the pain off as Ruby began to grow tighter around him.

"I love you, Ruby…!"

"Del…!"

"Ruby…!"

Ruby gasped for air, her toes curling as she screamed, feeling herself cum. Delta groaned, feeling her coil around her as he pumped into her faster, lifting himself off of her body to get a deeper penetration. Ruby yelped again as he began piercing past her cervix, clawing at Delta's back as she suddenly came again, digging her face into the crook of his neck as he groaned, his hot semen entering her womb.

" _Ah…no…,"_ Ruby thought to herself as she involuntarily pushed her hips against his, welcoming the warm liquid. Furrowing her brow, Ruby growled, gritting her teeth as Delta did an occasional thrust, gasping as he continued emptying within her. Each burst of heat caused her to gasp as Delta finally went limp, collapsing on her. Ruby let out a grunt at his weight landing on her, but then heard a soft, steady rhythm of breath.

"Delta?"

She nudged him once, but was responded with nothing.

"Delta?"

She nudged him again. Nothing.

"Oh, Del…," Ruby sighed, straining herself to get him off. She shivered as he slipped out of her, Delta's cum oozing out from between her folds as she spread her legs, wiping a bit of it on her fingers and bringing it to her face. Blinking, she sighed, then said, "…You came too much inside of me..."

Ruby then looked back at him, sucking the white liquid off her hands as she asked, "What're we gonna do if I become pregnant?"

Internally, she screamed for joy at the thought of Delta kneeling down and asking for her hand in marriage. Ruby couldn't help but smile as she laid on his somewhat built chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was something that she could get used to real quick.

Suddenly, the sound of a scroll ringing caught her attention.

Ruby groaned, agonizingly propping herself off of Delta as she looked on the desk, seeing that he had set his scroll on the counter.

" _Wait,"_ Ruby suddenly thought to herself, _"So he didn't have his scroll on him this whole time?"_

Very reluctantly, she reached out for it, picking it up and seeing that it was Sierra who was calling.

*Beep*

"Umm…hel…lo…?"

"Huh? Ruby?"

"Umm…yeah...?"

"Perfect!"

"What?"

"I knew you two would've done _something_ , so I hid something in his house just in case!"

"What?"

"Look in the drawer of the side table."

Ruby, confused, groaned as she crawled over Delta, pulling the drawer on his side table open to see a case of pills. Ruby almost choked on her own spit as Sierra laughed on the other side. Opening her mouth, Ruby was about to yell at Sierra before the silverette said, "D's bad with his alcohol, so I hope I wasn't too late. Oh wait, I was. I've been trying to call you guys for the past thirty minutes, but that's beyond the point. Anyway, take one of those, and make sure to practice safe sex!"

"SIERRA!"

With that, the scroll beeped, signaling that the silverette had hung up. Ruby groaned, then popped the case open, grabbing a very conveniently placed water bottle on the side table and took a pill. She then took another sip of water, swishing it around her mouth as she thought to herself, _"Hmm…maybe I should've kept taking them."_

Ruby then swallowed the water and smiled, shivering as more cum leaked out of her. Frowning, she then nuzzled closer to Delta, who was still sound asleep, throwing the scroll across the room as she sighed, content. She knew she would have to wait, but it would be worth it.

* * *

 **I tried to make my best impression of a drunk Delta after reading a doujin...I don't think I did too well on it. Anyway, thanks much and see you next time!**


	16. Hangover Recovery 101

**Hello again, everybody! I see everyone's returned with the recent update...and yes, Sierra is a smartass. But since no ones complaining about my drunken Delta scene, I take it that I did it fairly well then...? Meh. ENJOY! -Pichu  
**

* * *

"Nn…."

I winced, taking in the feeling of my aching body resting on my bed.

And my raging headache.

"Oh…my god…," I groaned, raising my right hand to hold my head, then attempted to roll to my left.

Only to be obstructed by something.

Or more accurately, _someone_.

I opened my eyes, seeing Ruby's sleeping form. Naked. And I was naked as well. I blinked in confusion, then rolled back over, seeing our clothing in a mess on the floor, as well as my scroll on the other side of the room. The light scent of cookies also filled the air as I began going through my memory bank.

 _Celebration at dad's tavern…Ruby arriving…asked her to help Lima…Sierra shoving that thing of whiskey in my mouth…._

I continued trying to remember what I had done as Ruby moaned next to me, then wrapped her arms around me as she rolled onto me.

"Morning Del…," she cooed out. I blinked as she opened her eyes, silver orbs glowing in the morning sunrise as I replied, "M…morning...?"

Immediately, Ruby frowned and said, "That's not a way to greet me considering what you did to me last night."

 _What I did…last night?_

"Umm…," I asked, "What _did_ I do last night?"

"Oh," Ruby stated, sitting up, "You did something terrible to me last night."

… _Oh no…._

"For example," she continued, "How you came so much in me that I could be pregnant right now?"

… _Wait, what?_

I held back from screaming as I immediately sat up, regretting the decision as blood rushed out of my head, intensifying my headache, causing me to fall back onto my bed. I failed to notice Ruby's smirk as she fell back onto me. I groaned, feeling like a complete idiot as I said, "Daammiiiiit…I'm not ready to be a dad yet…."

"Oh c'mon Del," Ruby replied, "You'll make a great dad!"

"Ruby…," I said, "I still want to go and see the world…not to mention that we're only 23 yet."

"Aaaaand…so?"

"Ruuubes…," I tried reasoning, "Please try to be serious."

"But I _am_ being serious."

"Ruuuby…."

Ruby kept her eyes on me, then asked, "…so you aren't going to marry me?"

 _Huh?_

I looked at her as she returned the favor, saddened and disappointed.

"…And here I was getting ready to live with you…."

 _Wait wait wait wait wait!_

"H-hold on a sec," I said, only to be cut off as Ruby brought a hand up to her eyes, now growing watery as she said, "I…I love you…Del…!"

"N-No! I didn't mean it like that! I just-I mean-umm-!"

I stammered for an answer, only to hear Ruby snicker and begin laughing. I blinked in confusion as she fell onto her back, holding her stomach as she kicked her legs around. I blinked again, then looked at my side table, seeing a case of pills with a piece of paper wrapped on it with writing written in impossibly small font that said, "Hiya D! Thought you and Rosey would be up to no good, so I snuck this into your house! Remember to always practice safe sex!"

 _Oh my fucking god…._

"God fucking dammit, Sierraaaa," I groaned out, locking my predatory gaze back on Ruby, who was still laughing.

 _We'll see who gets the last laugh, Rubes._

I then pushed her legs to the side, catching her attention as I grabbed onto her hips, receiving a well-deserved yelp of surprise as I shoved my morning wood into her.

* * *

"And then the Hotel goes off and slugs the poor guy in the face!"

Yang laughed as Sierra continued telling her the story of Hotel's small bar fight. The two headed straight for Delta's house as they continued joking around about things they had seen in their travels. It very quickly turned into a talk about what the best gift would be for Ruby and Delta's wedding.

"No no," Yang said, "Roses are the best flowers to use."

"Oh," Sierra stated, "So you're saying that we should just mix red and purple?"

There was a silence between them as a lightbulb suddenly clicked in their heads. They both looked at each other, then grinned. Immediately, they began planning on invitations and best man and lady as they approached the door to Delta's apartment.

 ***Knock knock***

The two waited patiently, snickering at each other as the door opened, revealing a half-naked Delta with a towel over his head, which was covering his wet hair. Sierra made to say something, but then found herself blushing at the sight of her teammate, who looked so similar to her own boyfriend, causing the words to get stuck in her throat.

"…What?"

Sierra immediately shook her head and opened her mouth to speak again, then saw Ruby wrapped only in a towel, causing her jaw to drop.

"Del? Who is it?"

"Sierra and Yang," Delta replied, moving to allow her to see.

Yang's jaw dropped in shock as Sierra dragged her and pushed the two into the apartment complex, slamming the door shut.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?"

Sierra kept her finger pointed at Ruby, who was sliding a shirt on, Delta's back turned to her as he replied, "Hey; you're the one who shoved a bottle of whiskey in my mouth."

Sierra opened her mouth to speak again, only to close it as Yang yelled from the other room, "She found it!"

"Good," Sierra sighed, then said, "Would've been a _huge_ problem if you and Rosey popped a kid."

"It wouldn't have been my fault in that case," Delta replied as Ruby walked into the dining room, setting a shirt down onto the table for Delta. Delta quickly thanked her, then slipped the shirt on as Sierra took notice of the full batch of cookies on the tray. She then looked back at Ruby, who picked one up and took a bite out of it.

"By the way Rubes," Delta said to her, "There're strawberries in the fridge."

Immediately, Ruby squealed happily, suddenly having a carton of strawberries in her hands, causing Sierra to jump out of her seat.

Recomposing herself, Sierra cleared her throat, then said, "Anyway, I hope I didn't rain in on your parade."

"No," Delta replied, "We actually finished showering when you guys got here."

"I…can see that…," Sierra replied as Ruby continued happily munching away at the fruit. Yang entered the room shortly after as Sierra began discussing the next course of action. Ruby's gaze switched from Sierra, then to Delta, back to Sierra, and so on and so forth.

* * *

"Bye Del!"

Ruby took a kiss from me as I returned the favor, smiling as she began walking away with Yang. I sighed, then turned back to my leader, who was just leaving my complex as well. I leaned on the railing as Sierra pat my shoulder. I looked at her as she said, "Meeting tomorrow night about our next mission."

"Roger," I replied, the heard her say, "And you should probably go talk with Tai Yang."

I immediately felt my ears heat up as Sierra immediately disappeared. I turned around, seeing her waving at me from ground level as I face palmed myself, going back into my apartment. Flopping onto the couch, I stared at the ceiling as I thought about a future family.

Hoping I didn't get into a fight with Tai Yang.

Kneeling onto one knee for Ruby.

Moving out of here into a proper house.

Having kids.

Raising them.

Growing old.

I sighed, rolling on my side as I grabbed the remote to my seldom used TV. Turning it on, I was immediately greeted with the news lady as she said, "More and more travelers are arriving at Vale…."

 _Travelers arriving in Vale, not enough housing, yada yada yada._

I sighed, then stood up, stretching as the lady then said, "Hunters located what appeared to be a spy infiltrating Beacon Academy just recently…."

I immediately turned to the TV as the article rolled on. I took notice of the picture of a janitor's bucket, as well as legs sticking out of it as officials continued walking around what I could only assume was the crime scene. I sat back down, furrowing my brow as the lady concluded, "It is speculated that Roman Torchwick is behind this. Further details as we progress."

 _Infiltrated? No way…this couldn't have happened after we left…._

I immediately brought a hand up to my chin, going through possible times they could've been infiltrating the school as the reporter said, "The body was found just an hour ago. It is theorized that the spies have been scouting the campus for a couple of weeks."

 _Weeks?_

I widened my eyes, then face palmed myself.

 _How could this have happened right under our noses?_

Just then, my scroll began ringing. I immediately walked over to the kitchen where I had set it, answering as Sierra asked, "Don't worry; Ozpin says everything's under control."

"What?"

"Why do you think I had to stay behind?"

"Is that what he was telling you?"

"Yeah," she continued, "Apparently he had known about the infiltration."

"How?"

"Inside sources I guess."

"Right," I replied, turning off the TV and stretching. It was then that I began wondering how Sierra had gotten home so quickly. I was about to ask before she said, "Okay, gotta go. See you later, D!"

With that, I heard a beep and dial tone. Blinking, I looked at the scroll, then sighed as I put it in my pocket and walked back to my bedroom. Flopping on my bed, I found myself looking outside the window, staring at the moon. Immediately, I thought of Ruby, as well as the chance of having a child.

… _Jeez, Delta…look what you did._

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of a kid. Rolling away, I then looked at the freshly taken picture of Ruby and I, my arms wrapped around Ruby as she smiled brightly. Chuckling, I then pulled my scroll back out of my pocket and dialed for her.

"Evening, Del!"

"Evening, love."

"What's up?"

"Oh, just wanted to hear your voice."

"Oh, Del~!"

Ruby giggled, causing me to smile even more as she said, "I wanted to hear your voice too, so thanks."

"Hehe. Damn I'm good."

There was a moment of silence between us before I asked, "…Could I drop by your house tomorrow?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Oh, just wanted to say hi to your dad after so long."

"Hehe, alright. I'll just let him know."

"See you then, Rubes."

"Yep!"

"Love you."

"Love you more!"

I chuckled, feeling my heart flutter as I said, "Goodnight."

"And I to you."


	17. Vows

**Hello again, my loyal fans! I'm kidding, but I hope I'm not gonna kill y'all with all this waiting. Now I know why anime companies keep their fanbases under such anxiety. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

"Excuse me."

I entered the Xiao Long household, immediately being dragged to the living room by Ruby. My heart was pounding out of my chest as adrenaline raced throughout my system, mentally preparing myself for Tai Yang's wrath. However, when I entered the room, I was greeted by…Hotel?

"Umm…Ho…tel…?"

Said teammate looked at me, raising a hand as he then said, "Yo."

"H…hi…?"

 _What're you doing here for?_

Just then, Ruby said, "Just take a seat and I'll go get dad."

With that, she disappeared with a cloud of rose petals. I blinked, then looked at Hotel, who shrugged. I averted my gaze, then turned back to him and asked, "What're you doing here for, anyway?"

He simply shrugged, then replied, "Probably for the same reason you're here for."

"Oh? So you're finally gonna ask Yang?"

"I guess," he replied, turning his face away from me. However, I didn't need to see his face to know he was grinning from ear to ear. Those two had been going strong for so long, I'm surprised he held off marriage for _this_ long.

Just then, footsteps filled the room. I felt a shiver go down my spine as the long familiar voice of Tai Yang said, "Welcome to our home Delta, Mr. Lancer."

"Please," Hotel said in the humblest tone I've ever heard, "Just call me Hotel."

"Very well," the man replied. He then muttered something to Ruby, who was gone with a cloud of petals. I half-expected her to whiz back, only to be pleasantly surprised that she didn't I immediately assumed that Tai Yang had told her to go get something from the store as he said, "Now then…I assume you've both come to ask for my daughters' hands in marriage?"

 _Straight to the point._

I opened my mouth to reply, only to be beaten by Hotel, who said, "Yes…as a matter of fact, I would love to propose to Yang as soon as tonight."

 _Holy-!?_

I turned to Hotel, wide-eyed and surprised as he continued, "We've known each other thanks to this knuckle-head-," he turned to me, then back to Tai Yang, "And I appreciate it. I love her so much, sir…if I may-!"

"Very well."

 _That was fast!_

"However…."

Tai Yang's predatory gaze landed on me, causing me to shiver as he asked, "…What makes you believe that you are the right person for Ruby…Delta?"

"Umm…."

… _I don't know how to answer him…._

I stumbled for words, feeling the pressure building up inside of me. My body began growing hot with embarrassment as I glanced at Hotel, who was giving me the "You can do it!" glance. I then looked up at Tai Yang, who was still staring daggers into me. Swallowing my spit, I then sighed, then took in a deep breath, then said, "…Well…you know I've known Ruby for so long…since we were at Signal…."

"Yes," the man replied.

"And…well…I…umm…."

I took in another deep breath.

"I missed her…a lot when she went to Beacon. I didn't want to be left behind. In fact, she's the sole reason for me becoming a huntsman. Ruby's…really special to me."

"However," Tai Yang then stated, "You did make her cry. What makes me think that you wouldn't make her cry again and leave her?"

 _Huh?_

My mind immediately went to last year when we broke up.

"O-oh! Right! About that…."

"'About that,'" Tai Yang repeated, "That's what they all say."

"I'm serious," I stated, this time in a more serious tone as I continued, "I never intended on breaking up with her…in fact, I had planned on marrying her after Beacon, but not until I was more financially stable."

"And? What of it?"

"Like I stated before, I've known Ruby for a long time," I began again, "And I've dated her for four out of five years. I love her. With all of my heart. I can't go a day without hearing her voice."

"Yes, that again is what they all say."

"Indeed," I replied, "But I will protect her. As long as I am around her, I give you my word that I'll love her with all my heart."

Tai Yang kept his gaze on me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I began to take deeper breaths. I kept my gaze on him as well as he turned to Hotel and asked, "Would you do the same for Yang?"

"Of course," Hotel replied without hesitation.

"Mr. Tai Yang," I stated, "I, Delta Ordance, give you my word that Ruby will be happy for the rest of her life."

There was a silence that held over us.

Hours seemed to go by as a grandfather clock continued clicking away.

 _Please…please…._

"…Very well."

 _Huh?_

Tai Yang turned to me, then said, "You will have my blessings."

 _Yes…!_

"Both of you will."

 _Yes!_

"On one condition."

… _shit._

"Hotel."

"Yes?"

"Yang is a wild one. She is bold. With that, she is also reckless. Please do make sure she remains safe."

"I'll travel to the ends of the earth with her sir," he replied, "You have my word."

"Thank you. And Delta."

"Yes sir?"

"Ruby is…my beautiful little rose. She is strong, yet she is delicate like her mother. Please…do keep her safe."

"I will," I replied, "I give you, and Summer, my word."

"Thank you."

* * *

That evening, I sighed with relief, the adrenaline still racing through my system from confronting Ruby's father. Sierra laughed wholeheartedly, patting me on the back as she congratulated me. Lima's ears wagged happily, her face flushed from drinking a little alcohol several moments earlier as I then took notice of an absent Hotel.

"Where's Hotel?"

"Hotel? I think he's with Yang."

"Really?"

I then thought about the situation for a bit.

"…OH SHIT! WE DON'T WANNA MISS THIS!"

* * *

"Heading out again?"

Yang turned away from working on her Bumblebee and nodded, leaning against her beloved motorcycle. Hotel sighed, then put his hands in his pockets, fiddling around with a small box that wasn't obviously protruding through his pants. Yang smiled, then said, "It's not like I'll be gone long, Babe."

"And look what happened last time you said that," he replied, "You were gone for three months straight."

"Oh, that's not _that_ long," Yang said back as he sighed and turned around, taking in several deep breaths. Adrenaline surged through his system as he turned again, facing Yang from his side as he pulled the box out. Yang blinked in confusion, then in suspicion as she raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"It was still three months of hell," Hotel replied as Yang blinked, unimpressed as she said, "…right."

"But this time…."

"Hmm?"

"This time…," he stated, legs shaking in nervousness, "…You aren't going alone."

"Huh? You're gonna come with me?"

"You see, I talked with your dad," Hotel continued, "And this was one of the deals I made with him."

"Hotel? What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about…."

Suddenly, Hotel dropped down to one knee. Yang's eyes widened, surprised as he slowly brought up a small velvet box. Her heart began pounding, her legs shaking, her mind racing as he slowly opened the box, revealing a small ring with sun designs engraved all over it.

"Yang Xiao Long," Hotel asked, "Will you marry me?"

* * *

We watched from some nearby bushes as Yang stammered for an answer. I covered Sierra's mouth from yelling out congratulations to Hotel as Lima's ears perked in happiness. I could only guess Yang's obvious answer as she immediately threw herself at Hotel and yelled, "YES!"

Suddenly, Sierra burst out of the bushes and gave Hotel a pat on the back and said, "Congrats, Hotel!"

Hotel flinched in surprise as I gave a hopeless sigh, coming out of the bushes as well. Lima was quick to follow as we approached the now newly engaged couple, Hotel still trembling from the excitement as I said, "Congrats."

"Th…thanks…," Hotel replied, scratching the back of his head.

I turned back to Lima, who had apparently recorded the whole scene on her scroll as Sierra then said, "C'mon! C'mon! Put the ring on already!"

Hotel sighed, then smiled as he pulled the ring out of the box. He then took Yang's right hand, slipping her glove off as slid the ring on. Yang had a guilty happy smile plastered on her face as she immediately jumped on Hotel, kissing him. I covered my eyes, leaving a little gap so I could still see the action as Sierra gave a whistle. Lima's ears were still wagging happily as she finally put her scroll down, walking over to the pair and getting reacquainted with their scents.

"Well, I'll see you guys in a couple of months."

"Will do," I replied, exchanging handshakes with Hotel, bumping shoulders with him as Yang and Sierra hugged out their goodbyes. Ruby followed suit as Yang pulled her for a death squeeze, getting a gawking noise as she said, "Oooooh, you'd better not get married before I do!"

"Y…Yang…! Choking…not…breathing…!"

"Oh! Oops!"

With that, she let Ruby go as Hotel whispered to me, "You're up next, hotshot. Wait until we get back, will ya?"

"Hey!"

Hotel chuckled, then took Yang's hand as she waved to us again.

I couldn't help but smile after them as they hopped on Bumblebee, driving off. I suddenly felt all eyes on me, causing me to turn to see the expectant gazes of Sierra, Ruby, and Lima. I blinked, then sighed as I walked up to Ruby and said, "…as much as I'd want to, this is pretty much ruined for me now."

"What?"

"The mood's all wrong," I stated, turning to my two teammates, "Now that they know I'm gonna do it."

"Well," Ruby stated, "At least I know you _will_ do it."

"That's the problem," I muttered to myself, then sighed and said, "…Not now, though."

"Huh? Why?"

"Not now, Ruby," I repeated, "You'll be a good girl and wait a bit."

"Aww," Ruby groaned, "But that's boring!"

Ruby proceeded to complain to me for several more hours as I said my goodbye to Sierra and Lima.


	18. Warming Up Cold Steel

**Hello again, everybody! This chapter's a filler of sorts since...well...I just have that feeling that one fan of the story's gonna come back and ask about Sword and Weiss. So please. ENJOY!**

 **...Oh yeah, one more thing.**

 **LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT**

* * *

Snow continued to fall outside as Sword sighed, flinging the last piece of paper work left off his desk as his personal assistant, Eugene, asked, "Please remember you have a meeting in an hour, sir."

"Yes, Eugene," Sword sighed out, rubbing his temples. With a groan, he leaned back in his chair as the phone began ringing. Sword glanced at Eugene, who bowed and immediately answered, "Hello? This is Eugene."

The assistant listened adamantly, then turned the phone towards Sword and said, "It's for you."

"Huh?"

Taking the phone, Sword said, "This is Sword."

"Hey honey."

"Weiss? What's up?"

"There's a bit of a situation right now…could you come over to my office?"

"What? What's this all about?"

"Sword!"

"O-on my way!"

Immediately, Sword sprinted out of the room, catching Eugene by surprise as he screeched to a stop outside of Weiss's office. He knew the temper that his newly-made fiancé had, causing him to immediately respond to her if she called. Taking in several deep breaths, he then knocked on the door, getting answered with, "Come in."

Entering the office, he was quick to close the door behind him as he began to ask, "What's up-?"

Only for Weiss to cut him off with a kiss.

Sword blinked in surprise as Weiss quickly pulled away from him and asked, "You can't even drop by to say 'hi' every now and then?"

"Sorry," Sword replied, "I've just been busy."

Weiss furrowed her brow, then sighed as she pat his chest and said, "As have I…but you're always busy."

"I know…," Sword continued, "But with _both_ companies needing constant work-!"

"And as I've told you," Weiss interrupted, "Just let me handle the dust and you can handle the security!"

"No! I couldn't do that!"

"C'mon, Sword! Quit being so stubborn and just let me help-!"

"Sir," Eugene interrupted from behind the door, "It's almost time for the meeting."

"I know, Eugene," Sword replied, hugging Weiss as he said, "I'll see you after the meeting…sorry."

"…Alright…," Weiss sighed, pulling away slightly to kiss him before he left.

* * *

"Phew…," Sword sighed, leaving the meeting room.

"And I thought my life couldn't be harder…," Sword mumbled to himself, "…Maybe I should listen to Weiss…."

"You probably should."

Sword jumped, turning to face Windsickle.

"Holy christ! Wind!"

"What up," Wind smirked, patting his team leader's back. Sword then let out another sigh as the two then began walking down the hall back to his office. Wind couldn't help but stare at his longtime friend, unimpressed at his antics as Sword finally stated, "And I just don't want to give Weiss that kind of load…."

"Sword…," Wind stated, "…Just let her help you out."

"Huh?"

"Let her help," Wind repeated, "I know you can handle quite a bit, but handling the affairs of two big time companies is just brutal."

"Yeah, but-."

"But nothing. Your position is no good if you can't keep your health up."

Sword furrowed his brow, immediately understanding what Wind was going toward. Gritting his teeth, he stopped his progress, causing Wind to stop with him. Sword immediately began comparing what he would be able to do with Weiss's help in the long run, placing a finger on his chin as Wind asked, "Now are you getting it? You might be smart and all, but there's no way in hell that you'll be able to handle two companies by yourself."

"But…."

"Ah, quit having a stick up your butt. She's your fiancé for crying out loud! Just give it a shot!"

"…Fine…," Sword finally sighed out, stopping at one door in particular. Wind blinked, confused as his leader said, "Now…if you can give us some privacy…."

"Oh! Right!"

Sword sighed again, knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Entering the room, he nodded to Wind, who nodded back, then turned back into the room, seeing Weiss working on some of his paperwork, causing him to gawk in surprise. He held back his reflex to run over and stop her, holding himself back as he shut the door behind him. Sighing, he walked over and sat on the desk, asking, "What're you doing?"

"Eugene dropped this off," Weiss replied, "I just thought I'd work on it a bit."

"Alright," Sword stated, "But you probably shouldn't be signing _that_ one."

"Huh?"

"Read the fine print, Weiss," Sword smirked, "That's something of a loan of sorts."

"What!?"

Sword laughed, pulling away the sheet as he pointed out the fine print. Weiss nodded, remembering what her father had told her about reading the fine print. Placing the paper in the discard pile, Sword leaned over and began showing her the differences in her paperwork and his. Weiss nodded occasionally as they quickly ran through all of the work.

* * *

"Holy cow," Sword said, "that time already."

"Well," Weiss said back, "At least we got tomorrow's work done as well."

"What? Really?"

"Yep," Weiss replied, looking up at him. Sword blinked, icy blue orbs captivating him as Weiss slowly smiled. She then wrapped her hand around his, slowly leaning up towards him.

"But you know," Weiss stated, "Now that we're done…well…."

"W…Weiss," Sword said, a slight tone of surprise in his voice as she pressed her lips against his. Sword blinked, then closed his eyes as he wrapped his arm around her back, leaning over the desk, pressing against her.

"Mm…Sword…," Weiss moaned out, going back in for another kiss.

"Mm…h…hold on…Wei…ss…," Sword whispered, but was then cut off as she kissed him again, crawling onto his desk. However, just as they began to deepen the kiss, a knock on the door interrupted them, causing Sword to groan as they both turned towards the door. Sword glared at Eugene, who had his eyes closed as he said, "Sir, you have a letter."

"From who?"

"Hmm," Eugene continued, "From…a 'Delta Ordance.'"

"Delta?"

Sword and Weiss both walked over as he took the letter from his assistant, tearing the letter open to see a card sighed by Delta. Blinking, he opened the card and read, "Hey Sword, it's Delta. My family's holding a party at my dad's tavern to celebrate the New Year, and this is my invitation to you. I could've done it with my scroll, but I know you're too damn busy for that. Anyway, feel free to come by, and bring your fiancé as well. Ruby's gonna love what I'm gonna do to her. Delta."

"Huh?"

"That Delta...," Sword laughed, then turned to Eugene, who was looking at him expectantly.

"Well then," Sword continued, "I'm going to be absent next week."

"But sir…."

"Oh, don't worry," Weiss interjected, slinging her arms around Sword's neck, "We'll be able to get next week's work done in no time!"

Eugene remained silent for several more moments, but then sighed as he said, "…Your parents are not going to be happy…."

"I'd like to differ," Sword smirked, causing Eugene to sigh again as he said, "…Very well…now then…."

The pair stared at the assistant in curiosity as he said, "…I'll give you your space now…."

With that, Eugene left.

Sword chuckled, then turned around, his back against the door as he asked, "Now where were we…?"

Weiss chuckled as well, kissing him against the door as she locked it. Sword felt adrenaline spike through his system as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. Weiss's lips curled into a smirk as she attempted to prod her tongue past his lips, getting greeted by his own tongue. Both of them danced with each other as Sword picked her off her feet, hiking her skirt up her legs so she could wrap her legs around him. Opening his eyes slightly, he walked them over to the desk, laying her down on it.

Pulling away from each other, a stray strand of saliva kept them together as their breathing grew heavy. Their pants were quick to fill the air as they immediately kissed again, Weiss's hands attempting to claw away at his shirt. Her thighs pressed against his waist as she suddenly found herself growing too hot in her clothing. The pair pulled away again as Sword said, "Hah…sorry…for not…doing this…on a bed…!"

"It's…fine…," Weiss replied, pulling him down for another kiss. Impatience quickly began pouring in as Sword reached down to his belt, quickly undoing it and sliding his pants down. He then worked on Weiss's pantyhose, ripping them open as he moved Weiss's panties to the side as he pressed the head of his member against her soaked opening.

"Weiss…," Sword whispered into Weiss's ear.

"Hah—ah—ah…!?"

Weiss gripped at Sword's shirt, his hot member entering her. She curled her toes through her shoes as her head rolled backwards against the hardwood desk. Moaning, she nuzzled her head against his as he sighed, pulling out of her, slamming back in just as quickly. Weiss let out an "Eek!" of surprise, her legs growing numb for a moment as Sword gasped. Grinning, Sword continued his thrusting, looking down at his fiancé, whose eyes were shut tightly as she continued squealing.

Leaning down, he kissed her scar, getting a gasp as her eyes shot open, the sensitivity of the scar causing her mind to go blank temporarily.

"Weiss…," Sword cooed out, listening to her squeaks as her legs wrapped around his waist.

"Oh…goodness…," Weiss breathed out as Sword pushed off the desk, going deeper into her. Weiss yelped as Sword picked her up, raising her up, then allowing her to drop back down with her own weight. Weiss began moaning, necking him as he grit his teeth, feeling his member reach her cervix.

Rocking her hips, Weiss gasped out, "H…hun…!"

"Oh god, Weiss," Sword breathed out, grinding his hips against hers, causing her to gawk in surprise. Recomposing herself, Weiss groaned, shivering as Sword pulled out of her, allowing her to stand. Turning her, Sword said, "C'mon, honey…lean over the desk."

Weiss immediately complied, spreading her lower lips open as Sword pushed himself back into her. Her eyes widened in surprise, the air flying out of her lungs as Sword's sigh filled her ear. She then felt him pull out, then push back into her as he stuck a finger into her mouth. Greedily, Weiss began sucking it as Sword's thrusts soon began growing desperate.

"Sh…shit…," Sword choked out, slamming into her rougher.

"W-ah-wait! L-let me c-cum t-too!"

"Ugh! Weiss…!"

Sword furrowed his brow, concentrating as she looked back at him, her blue eyes pleading him. Closing his eyes, Sword immediately reached down to her clit, playing with it. He received a well-deserved yelp of surprise as Weiss began clawing the desk. Weiss grit her teeth, feeling something like a coil building up in her abdomen as Sword choked out, "C—Cumming!"

With a groan, Sword pushed as deep as possible into Weiss.

The girl screamed, her coil snapping as the burst of heat triggered her own orgasm. She groaned with each blast of heat, gritting her teeth, gripping the opposite edge of the desk hard enough that her knuckles were turning white. She couldn't help but squeal at each burst of heat that entered her womb, finally groaning in disagreement as Sword pulled out.

Pulling her down with him, Sword received a yelp of surprise as he spread her legs, looking at her leaking core from over her shoulder. Blinking in curiosity, he then turned Weiss's face to his, taking another kiss from her. Weiss then turned her body, wrapping her arms around his neck as they pulled away.

"Are you trying to get me pregnant?"

"…Maaayybe."

"You jerk."

"Hehe," Sword chuckled, "That's why we're engaged, right?"

"…touché," Weiss sighed, smiling as she kissed him again.

* * *

 **Now I know that I didn't have them do the "D" in the last story, but that was because I really didn't have any filler room to take up space less I wanted _The SHLD of Beacon_ to be 150 chapters long, and that's just brutal on the mind to write one story for that long. Well, hope yu enjoyed and I'll see y'all next time.**


	19. Finishing Touches

**Hello, everybody! This is gonna be a short chapter, so bear with me. Anyway, I hope y'all don't mind me moving fast because I'm really liking how this next scene is going through my mind right now. So please, do enjoy. Also, this chapter's gonna jump all over the place in terms of POVs. So on that note, I might as well try something new. So like I already said, ENJOY!**

* * *

 _ **At Al's Tavern...**_

* * *

Rosaline sighed, going through a photo album as Al continued transferring crates of alcohol from room to room. Rosaline couldn't help but smile as she ran through the pictures of Delta as a child, waving a stick around as if it were a sword, then when he got glasses, then his first day at Signal. She continued flipping through the album as Al grunted and said, "Phew! Done!"

"Hey, Al?"

"Hmm?"

"Has it…really been so long…?"

Al walked over to his wife, seeing her staring at a picture of Delta in his graduation robes from Beacon. Rosaline couldn't help but smile as Al wrapped his arms around her, smiling as well as she flipped to a picture that was taken just recently of Delta going off to his first official mission, then to another where he was moving out. A stray tear suddenly found its way down her cheek, causing her to gasp as she quickly caught it, wiping it away.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Oh," Rosaline asked, "I'm…getting old, aren't I…?"

"C'mon, dear," Al replied, "You'll always be beautiful to me."

Rosaline sighed, relaxing into his embrace as she said, "Our baby boy's…really grown up, hasn't he…?"

"Yeah," Al replied, kissing her cheek, "He's grown up…he's moving on."

Rosaline sniffled, closing her eyes as Al said, "It's okay, dear…it's okay…."

* * *

 _ **A certain office at Steelcore Industries...**_

* * *

"Dagger!"

A mature looking Dagger looked up from her desk, spotting Rusty with what appeared to be an invitation card.

"Got an invitation to go to a party," he stated.

"Oh really? Who's it from?"

"Who else? It's from Delta."

Dagger blinked, standing up from her seat as she walked over to her boyfriend.

"Dear Rusty and/or Dagger," she began reading, "My dad's hosting a party at 'Al's Tavern.' I'd love if you guys would be able to make it. Sincerely, Delta. P.S., if Saber can tag along, feel free to bring him as well."

"Hmm," Rusty said, "Kinda weird for Delta to ask for Saber."

"Well…I can kind of see why he would," Dagger replied, going back to her desk. Rusty raised an eyebrow in curiosity as the girl sighed, getting back to the many order sheets that she was put in charge of. Rusty opted to sit on the chair across from her, leaning back into the chair. Dagger looked up, then back down to the sheets as he said, "It has been a while since we've seen anyone from that team."

"Yep," Dagger replied, flinging another sheet of paper away.

"You haven't seen Sierra for a while either, have you?"

"Nope," Dagger replied, flinging another sheet.

"...Geez, you're awfully quiet today, aren't you?"

"Rust…," Dagger sighed, "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Oh, right," Rusty replied, scratching the back of his head.

* * *

 _ **Now to Sierra and Echo...**_

* * *

"So I've just got this feeling…."

"Hmm?"

Sierra grinned, rolling onto her back, arms on her forehead as she said, "I think Delta's finally gonna propose."

"Oh yeah?"

Echo set down his journal, placing a pencil between the pages as he set it down on a side table. Sierra let out a content sigh, then glanced at him. Echo smiled as she sat up, looking right at him, returning the smile. Just then, her scroll began ringing, catching her attention as she quickly grabbed it from a side table, answering it.

"This is Sierra."

"Hi Sierra, it's Rosaline."

"Hiya, Mrs. Ordance!"

Echo raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Delta's mother asked, "Could you and Echo possibly swing by? We need help setting up."

"Sure," Sierra replied, "I'm not doing anything significant right now anyway."

* * *

 _ **Delta's walk through the city... (1st POV)**_

* * *

I sighed, my breath visible as I continued walking through the crazed post-Christmas shopping sprees and returns. Ruby had gotten me a new earpiece and refurbished Alternate Echo for gifts, which I was grateful for, and I had gotten her new work equipment, a repaired hoodie courtesy of Lima, and…well…a, persay, "good night."

 _Good grief Rubes._

I couldn't help but smile, then grimace from the slight stinging of Ruby's nails still lingering in my back. I groaned lightly, then saw snowflakes, causing me to look up at the darkened sky as snow began to fall. Smiling, I continued making my way through town, avoiding couples left and right as I suddenly ran into someone. Quick to apologize, I immediately recognized the person as Sierra's younger sister, Sakura.

"Sakura?"

"Oh! Hi, Delta!"

The younger girl happily skipped around me, causing me to raise an eyebrow in surprise as I said, "You seem to be in a good mood."

"That's cuz I get to see big sis tonight!"

"Huh? You're spending the night?"

"Mmhmm," Sakura replied, "Since your party's tomorrow evening, I figured I'd just beat the last ship to Beacon out before it left."

"Oh yeah? Hope you don't miss it," I said, then looked around to see a couple people looking at us. I sighed, mildly annoyed as I said, "I've gotta go get Ruby. I'll see you later."

"Sure thing," she replied, saluting me, catching me off guard as she took off. I wasn't sure if it was the striking similarity of her and Sierra or what, but it was just weird having someone salute me, especially her. Shaking my head, I took my mind off of it and continued making my way to where Ruby had gone out to eat with her family.

However, I was suddenly intercepted as I spun around in a circle, instinctively grabbing onto whatever had run into me as Ruby's cheerful laughter filled the air. We slowed to a stop as I looked at Ruby, about to ask her what was up before she mashed her lips to mine, catching me by surprise as she quickly pulled away. I immediately took notice of her eyes, now several shades darker as she grinned happily and said, "Hiiiyaaa Deeeellll~!"

I blinked, comprehending that she was most likely drunk considering her flushed face as I replied, "…Hi, Rubes."

"Aaaawwwww," Ruby cooed out, rubbing her cheek against my neck as she said, "You're soooo booorinnng~!"

Chuckling, I looked at Yang, who motioned her head to get out of the area. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, then looked at Tae Yang, who was talking with Qrow. I let out an, "ooooh," of comprehension as Yang quickly caught up to us and said, "I already told them that you'd take Ruby home, so feel free to take advantage of her!"

"Yang…."

I looked back up at her and said, "I'm not taking advantage of a drunken Ruby."

With a heave, I hiked her onto my back, giving her a piggyback ride, receiving a squeal from her as she said, "Hehe, piggy~!"

"Ookay, Rubes," I chuckled, walking back to my apartment.


	20. 5 Years in the Making

**Hiya there, peeps! I welcome y'all to the moment y'all have been waiting for! Also, not just Delta, but also another person as well! ENJOY!**

* * *

"Ugh…."

I glanced over from my desk, seeing Ruby begin to stir, then prop onto her elbow, holding her head.

"Morning, sleepy," I called out, catching her attention. Ruby looked at me, her face quickly turning into a look of confusion as she sat up, looked left, then right, then soaked in her surroundings as I walked over to my drawer cabinet, grabbing her folded up clothing and walking back over to her. I then set the clothing on the bed as I sat down, pulling her onto my lap as I pulled her bra around her chest, getting a gasp of surprise from her as she stammered, "D-Del-wai-how-wha-what's going on!?"

"You were drunk last night and Yang wanted me to bring you home," I explained, "she then took off somewhere and your dad decided to hang a little longer with your uncle, therefore forcing me to bring you to my place where you knocked out and I undressed you to put you to bed."

Ruby blinked in confusion as I lifted her legs, sliding her panties on, purposely leaving a light touch as she gasped and shivered slightly. I grinned as I then pulled her stockings up, suddenly getting forced back onto the bed as she said, "I-I can dress m-myself, thank you!"

I then began laughing as she hopped off of me, puffing her cheek as I looked back at her, staring as she began sliding the stockings surprisingly slowly. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she did the same with the other stocking, shooting an occasional glance at me. I quickly found myself checking her out as she turned her back to me, slipping her shirt on, then her skirt, zipping it up.

 _Damn she's sexy._

I grinned again, standing up as she reached for her hoodie, only for me to grab her wrist as I quickly pinned her against my closed bedroom door. Ruby blinked at me as I leaned in for a kiss, feeling her lips on mine as she let out a squeak of surprise. I quickly pulled away and said, "I'd opt for a morning quickie, but I've actually gotta run to the tavern."

"Okay," Ruby replied, sighing in what I could only describe as disappointment as our stomachs suddenly growled. We both looked at each other, a blush evident, then laughed as I unlocked the bedroom door and picked her up, receiving another squeak of surprise as I walked us to the kitchen.

* * *

 **Off to the tavern...**

* * *

"Hey, there's lover boy!"

I sighed as Sierra patted me on the back. I shot her a look, seeing her grinning at me as Echo ran from one end of the lobby to the next, setting boxes to and fro, as well as powering up the backup batteries in case the power were to fail for whatever reason. I was about to give him a hand, but then heard my dad yell, "We've got this, Delta! Just go back home and relax!"

"Oooo…kay…?"

I began walking back, only for Sierra to sling her arm around my shoulders and say, "And make sure you practice your pickup lines, as well!"

She was quick to disappear as I whiffed in midair.

* * *

 **Some time later back at the apartment...**

* * *

"So what's the point of watching this?"

I continued watching a weapon show of sorts on the TV as Ruby answered, "It's just so I know how to fix certain weapons and equipment. I'm no genius when it comes to machines."

"Right," I replied, immediately thinking about Crescent Rose Mk. II.

We sat for what seemed like an hour, simply watching weapons getting taken apart and put back together. I kept my arms around Ruby, who was seated on my lap, taking in the scent of her hair as she continued watching the show intently. I then sighed, slightly tightening my grip on her.

 _I could get used to this…._

I then found myself smiling.

The sound of Ruby gasping suddenly caught my attention as she asked, "Del? What're you doing?"

"Huh?"

I then relaxed my unknowingly tight grip on her and answered, "O-oh…sorry."

"It's alright," Ruby replied, reaching a hand back to grasp the back of my head. I sighed again, relaxing as I leaned back. Ruby then turned her body, hugging me as I stared up at the ceiling, then closed my eyes. I then felt a spike of adrenaline surge through my body as my heart began racing. I knew that tonight would be the night. The night that I had waited nearly 6 years for.

"Ne, Del?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

I opened my eyes, smiling as I replied, "I love you too."

* * *

 **That evening to the tavern...**

* * *

"Brrr…."

"Cold?"

"Aren't you?"

Delta laughed, wrapping his sweater around Ruby, who had her hoodie completely wrapped around herself as he said, "I'm used to it, unlike you."

"How? You've lived in Vale your whole life!"

"And I've been on a lot of missions in cold places," he continued, stumping her. Grinning victoriously, Delta then made the final turn to the tavern as Ruby asked, "By the way, Del…."

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you bring a bag?"

Delta then looked at the little side pouch he had brought along, grinning as he replied, "…that's a secret."

Entering the tavern, they were immediately greeted by warm air flushing out, as well as the cheerful chatter of the many invited people.

"There he is!"

Delta immediately took notice of Lima approaching me, her ears wagging happily as she said, "…hi."

"Hiya, partner," Delta replied as she then turned her attention to Ruby, rubbing her cheek against hers. Ruby laughed playfully as Delta then made his way over to where Sierra was talking to Dagger, who was dressed up rather nicely. Sitting on the table, he then said, "It's been a while since I've seen you."

Dagger turned to face him, immediately jumping out of her seat to give a friendly hug as Rusty walked over as well, saying his greetings. Delta acknowledged him, then looked around, spotting Wind on one end of the tavern, but not Sword or Saber.

"Your bro's not here?"

"Nah," Dagger replied, "but he does give you his congrats."

" _Congrats, eh,"_ Delta thought to himself then asked, "And where's Sword?"

"He'll show up," Dagger replied, "Eventually."

"Yeah," Sword's familiar voice said, "And if you had given me directions, I would've been here earlier."

Delta turned around, spotting him as Ruby's voice yelled, "WEEISSS!"

A crash suddenly filled the tavern, as well as hearty laughter from everyone around as Delta immediately ran over to where she had apparently ran Weiss through a table.

"Damn, calm down, Ruby," Yang stated as she and Weiss got up. Weiss patted at her clothing, mildly annoyed as Ruby grinned sheepishly. Weiss then pulled her into a hug and said, "I'm…glad to see you too…I guess."

Delta then turned and made my way back to Sword and said, "Before I forget, congratulations."

"Huh? For what?"

"For getting your girl," Delta replied, motioning his head towards Weiss.

"Oh please," Sword said, "It wasn't easy."

"How was it not easy?"

"Well you try impressing her dad and sister and then filing for a joint company ownership," Sword explained.

"Holy Christ," Delta replied, "You must go through a lot of shit."

"Tell me about it," Sword replied back, shooting a look at his personal body guard.

"…Right," Delta said back, but then turned to the lobby stage and say through a microphone, "Friends! Family! Fellow citizens! Welcome to Al's Tavern!"

The crowd was quick to cheer as Delta grinned and stood up, walking over to Ruby and sitting down next to her. Al then bowed in appreciation, looking around the lobby at the many people in attendance. He was quick to spot Tae Yang and Qrow, then Team RWBY, JNPR, SHLD, and SWRD. He then nodded to Rosaline, who nodded back, and said, "Now then, I'd like for my son, Delta, to please come up to the stage!"

Delta blinked, confused, as a spotlight suddenly shown on him. Looking around, Delta felt all eyes on him, causing him to grow hot and uncomfortable as Ruby nudged him. She then leaned towards him and whispered, "You can do it!"

"Y…Yeah…," Delta replied, slowly standing up, then heard his dad say, "And Ruby, if you could join him up on stage!"

" _Oh you fucking…,"_ Delta thought to himself, grinning as the spotlight followed them to the stage.

"Here you go, son," Al stated, handing Delta the microphone.

"Actually dad," Delta replied, "I'd like to try this…."

Pulling out his newly acquired earpiece, Delta turned it on and quickly linked with the speaker system. Everyone let out an "Ooooh" of amazement as Delta nodded at Al. His father was quick to leave the stage and join his mother at the front as he turned to the crowd. Delta could tell that Ruby was getting a little bit nervous as he sighed, then inhaled, then said, "Thank you all for showing up tonight."

A pause.

"First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for supporting my dad's tavern, as well as my dad for giving my team, Team SHLD, a place to rest."

Sierra smiled, as did Hotel and Lima.

"This past year has been a little rough on me, I admit," Delta continued, "But with it came its rewards. I give special thanks to Team RWBY, JNPR, and SWRD for being able to make it. Unfortunately, Team CFVY is out of the kingdom at the moment, so please let's give them a round of applause."

The lobby then broke into an applause, quickly dying down.

"And I'd also like to thank my team, Team SHLD," Delta continued, "Sierra Hawthorne, who's been an amazing leader-," Delta saw Sierra smirking, "—Hotel Lancer for keeping me in line-," Hotel smirked as well, "As well as Lima Kerrigan, for being an amazing partner."

Lima's ears wagged happily as Delta spotted something dark moving around the back of the tavern.

"Speaking of faunus," Delta stated, "Glad you could make it, Blake Belladonna!"

The lobby then turned to the cat faunus, who began blushing madly. Lima immediately jumped and cleared the lobby, rubbing herself all over her faunus senior, who immediately struggled to get her off as Sun walked in, whistling as he said, "Man! Quite the party!"

Delta grinned, then said, "Now then, let's all enjoy tonight's festivities!"

"Hold, Delta!"

Delta looked at Sierra, who had apparently stood up.

"Isn't there something else you wanted to do?"

Delta blinked in confusion, causing Sierra to sigh and said, "You know…."

She then motioned to her hand.

Delta blinked again, but then quickly recognized what she was trying to say.

"Oh…," Delta relied, "Oh. Oh! Right!"

Immediately, he turned to Ruby.

"Ruby!"

Ruby flinched as Delta led her into the spotlight. The crowd all "oooooh'd" in surprise as Delta's heart began racing. Adrenaline surged through his system as he took in a breath and said, "We've…umm...known each other for…a long time now…."

"…Yeah…," Ruby replied suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.

"And we've...umm...dated for four years," Delta continued.

"…Right…," Ruby replied again, still suspicious.

"And…well...," Delta stammered, "ugh…god dammit, why's this so hard…?"

"Just do it!"

Delta shot a look at Sierra, who was waving a "#1 fan" finger of sorts that read "JUST DO IT!"

" _I'm gonna kill you,"_ Delta thought to himself as he cleared his throat.

"You see…," Delta stated, "I spent a good year's worth of savings to buy this for you. I could've…done this in private…I could've done this with just your dad around…."

"H…huh…?"

"But I know…if I do this here…in front of all of our loved ones…," Delta continued, his legs shaking slightly as he reached into his side pouch, slowly dropping to a knee, "It's going to have a much bigger effect…on you and me."

Ruby slowly began to comprehend what he was doing as he pulled out a tiny box. Her eyes widened and immediately grew watery as her face heated up, watching as he slowly opened the box, revealing a small, silver ring with a ruby on it. Her heart began racing, her mind spiraling out of control. She covered her mouth with her hands as Delta asked the question she had waited for so long to hear.

"Ruby Rose…," Delta asked, "Will you marry me?"

The tavern went silent.

Ruby's irises began trembling as she stared at the ring. Her legs trembled as her mind went blank. Delta already knew her answer, smiling as she then turned around, facing away from him to wipe away her tears. A guilty happy smile covered her face as Delta chuckled and asked, "Is that a no?"

"N...no…," Ruby replied with a trembling voice, "I just…I need…some air…!"

"Fufu," Delta chuckled, "You're so cute, Rubes."

Ruby slowly turned around, her smile wide as she replied, "…Yes!"

The crowd roared. People whistled and clapped. Delta picked up a, "Congratulations!" and "That's my boy!" as well as, "About damn time!"

Reaching out, Delta pulled the ring out of the box, reaching out and gently grasping Ruby's trembling right hand. Ruby's breaths were coming out in bursts as he slowly slid the ring on her ring finger, receiving another round of applause as Ruby pulled her hand away to look at it, the slung her arms around his neck as she mashed her lips to his, catching him by surprise. The crowd "oooooh'd" again as she pulled away, staring into his amethyst irises as she said, "I love you, Del!"

"I love you too, Rubes," Delta replied as they smiled at each other.

"…And on that note, I also have something to declare!"

Everyone suddenly turned towards Echo, who had been forgotten in the entire kerfuffle as he walked up to Sierra, who had sat down.

"Sierra," Echo asked, "On their note, can I ask you the same?"

"Huh?"

Sierra raised an eyebrow as Echo dropped to a knee as well, pulling out a ring.

"Will you marry _me,_ Sierra Hawthorne?"

The crowd went silent again in shock.

Delta's eyes were wide as saucers as Sierra simply blinked at him, then began laughing as she asked, "You're joking, right?"

"No."

Sierra's laughing stopped just as quickly as she looked Echo right in the eyes, azure meeting violet as he continued, "I'm asking you as Echo Taverse. Will you marry me, Sierra Hawthorne?"

Sierra's eyes slowly widened. She almost couldn't believe it. He finally asked her for her hand in marriage.

The crowd remained silent as Sierra finally sighed, standing up as she asked, "…what's keeping me from killing you…?"

"You love me and if you did, there'd be way too many witnesses to silence," Echo replied.

"…Touché," Sierra replied, placing her hand on the box and continuing, "Of course I'd marry you, idiot."

The crowd burst into cheers again as Delta spun Ruby around the stage. The two laughed as slow ball room music began playing. Delta stopped momentarily to look at Ruby, who was smiling back at her as he asked, "Can I have this dance?"

"Hehe," Ruby giggled, "Of course."


	21. A Rough Night

**I'm back with the long awaited update!**

 **Honestly, I've had this chapter on hold for so long because I've been having a lot go through my mind lately. Particularly school. Meh. I got this finished for y'all, so please enjoy.**

 **Oh yeah...**

 **LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT**

* * *

 **Later that night...**

* * *

Sierra shot a look at Delta and Ruby, still dancing serene and happy. Smiling, she put her head in the crook of Echo's neck, closing her eyes as she relished in the feeling of completeness as the tavern continued moving ever so gracefully to the calming, beautiful music. She let out a small moan, but then felt him stop momentarily, causing her to open her eyes. Pulling away, Sierra frowned, her mood being lost.

Echo blinked, then looked down at Sierra, then at the younger girl that was her younger sister, Sakura.

"Hey, Si," Echo whispered, then motioned towards Sakura. Sierra blinked, then turned around, spotting her younger sister. Sakura motioned for her to walk over, causing Sierra to sigh and turn to whisper, "Hey, she needs me at the moment."

"Mind if I come with?"

Sierra was about to say "no," but then remembered that she was his newly made fiancé, causing her to double think her decision.

"…Sure," Sierra replied, allowing him to follow her. Sakura's eyes seemingly sparkled as the two approached her. They were quick to head outside as Sierra raised an eyebrow in annoyance and said, "I was in a good place, you know…."

"But someone wants to see you," Sakura said back, moving aside. Sierra's eyes immediately widened in shock as a woman, much older than herself, approached her. A very light blue haired woman approached her, seemingly awestruck. Sierra was half-tempted to run away, but then felt Echo stop her, causing her to struggle against his grip.

"S…Saku…ya…?"

Sierra's eyes began to water as she continued struggling, only for Echo to mutter, "Easy, Sisi…easy…."

Sierra kept her body tense as the woman approached her, hand trembling as she reached out towards her. Sierra flinched as the hand touched her, only to relax as the hand caressed her cheek tenderly. Slowly, she looked up, her face heating up and her eyes watery as the woman composure suddenly broke down, causing her to pull her into a tight embrace. Sobbing filled the quiet New Year's night as the woman cried out, "Oh…Sakuya…Sakuya…!"

"M…mom…," Sierra cried, slowly wrapping her arms around the woman. The woman's cries became audible as Sierra dug her face into her mother's neck, letting her tears out as well. Sakura joined the three, holding back her tears as Echo simply smiled, sensing that she finally had another load off her shoulders.

"I…I thought…," Sierra's mother cried, "I thought…you had…died…!"

Sierra pulled away, wiping away her tears as she said, "I'm…not that easy…to kill, mom…!"

"Don't worry," a familiar voice suddenly stated, "I didn't raise her to be frail."

Sierra's eyes widened in surprise as she turned, seeing a woman with maroon colored irises. Auburn colored hair flowed in the gentle winter breeze as the new woman approached them. The woman smiled and said, "It's been a while, dear."

"M-Marone!"

The woman, Marone Hawthorne, smiled as Sierra's mother turned to face her, wiping away a tear as she said, "Th…thank you…for raising my baby girl…!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Trueblood," Marone replied, "She was very obedient."

Sierra looked away, a little embarrassed as everyone suddenly looked at Echo. Echo blinked, the looked at Sierra for support. Sierra simply chuckled, walking over to him and looping her arms around his right arm. The two older womans' eyes widened in surprise as Sierra said, "By the way, this is Echo Taverse, my newly made fiancé."

Marone blinked, then looked like a lightbulb lit up in her head as she said, "Oh, this is that boy you had a crush on?"

"I…see…," Sierra's mother replied, awestricken as Delta's voice said, "Thank you so much, everyone! Have a great rest of the night!"

The crowd inside cheered as Sierra sighed contently and said, "Let's get back in there."

* * *

 **Delta's POV in the tavern...**

* * *

"I don't wanna I don't wanna I don't wanna!"

I looked over at Ruby, who was pouting to her dad. Tae Yang gave an annoyed sigh, then said, "Ruby, we need to go home now. It's late."

"I won't go unless it's with Delta!"

I blinked, then had to hold back my laughter as her dad gave another annoyed sigh, then turned to Yang and said something to her. Yang nodded, then walked over to me, motioning to Ruby. I nodded as Yang stated, "She's buzzed…again."

"I can see that," I replied, walking over to her.

"Ruby."

Ruby immediately turned to me, her face flushed as she jumped onto me and said, "Del~!"

Tae Yang scoffed, then said, "…I guess, fine…you two are engaged now anyway…."

"Don't worry," I replied to him, "I won't do anything to her."

"I'm not worried about you," he replied, "Its Ruby I'm worried about."

"Huh?"

"She's…how should I put it…?"

* * *

 **Later at Delta's apartment...**

* * *

"U-Umm…!"

I found myself in a rather…compromising position.

My hands were handcuffed to one of the bed posts, leaving me nervous as to what Ruby, who was still drunk, had in mind.

Said girlfriend's face sported a happy grin as she straddled her hips to mine, rocking back and forth as I hissed, instinctively bucking against her. Ruby would let out an occasional giggle as my breathing grew labored, my arms straining against the cuffs as I tried to break them. Unfortunately, Ruby wasn't letting me concentrate as she leaned down and said, "Del~!"

"Wh…what…," I breathed out, the alcohol still evident in her breath. Furrowing my brow, I attempted to break the cuffs again, only to hurt my wrists even more as Ruby sloppily began trying to undress me. I immediately felt my member pop up, causing my face to heat up in embarrassment as Ruby giggled again and began playing with it.

"Baby," she giggled, "My baby's gonna come out from here~."

 _Oh shi-!_

"H-hang on, Ru-," I was about to say, only to be brutally interrupted by her beginning to suck on it, lightly biting down on the head. I hissed in slight pain as her teeth grazed over the glans a bit, then sighed as she took down my entire length. I closed my eyes shut as she began assaulting me with her blowjob, letting out groans as she sloppily took me from deep throat to blow, and so on and so forth.

"Good…god, Rubes!"

I heard her giggle again, causing me to growl as she let me go with a "POP," then crawled over me and asked, "Can we have a baby, Del?"

"H…huh…?"

"I want a baby," she repeated, her eyes several shades darker from the usual bright silver.

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!_

"R-Ruby…," I stated, trying to catch my breath, "W…we can…but…not…!"

However, Ruby paid no attention to me as heat suddenly enveloped my member, causing me to choke on my last words.

"A-aahhh~," Ruby gasped, then dropped her face down to mine, a happy smile plastered on her face as she said, "We're making a baby~!"

"Ruby…!"

I tried to reason with her. Fortunately, she was drunk so she wouldn't remember anything. Unfortunately, I was tied up and she was in control of the situation.

 _I hope she's been taking those pills. I'm screwed if she isn't taking them!_

Ruby giggled once more before she began rocking her hips. Letting out an involuntary groan, I tried to grip my pillow, only to hear the "clack" of the chains from the handcuffs. Groaning again, I instinctively bucked my hips once more as Ruby's musical moans filled my room. The bed beneath us also rocked as the sound of springs jumping up and down mixed in with her voice, the moon shining off her still clothed body.

Gritting my teeth, I felt the familiar rushing sensation in my lower regions, immediately throwing red flags up. I frantically tried to break the cuffs again, only to fail miserably as Ruby's moans became louder. I was quick to choke out, "R-Rubes—ah—stoooop!"

"Del~," Ruby moaned, ignoring me, "Del~ Del~ Del~!"

 _I…can't…!_

"I—ah—love you!"

My eyes shot open in surprise.

 _Wait…why am I surprised?_

"I—ah—love—yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Suddenly, Ruby crashed down on me, growling and screaming as she gripped at my hair, causing me to wince in pain as her orgasmic pulsing suddenly forced me to cum. Choking out my scream, I felt her hips press against mine greedily as I spilled my semen inside of her, her womb opening up and gladly chugging it down. Ruby let out a happy sigh as I felt the sensation end quickly, extreme guilt washing over me as she suddenly crashed down on me again.

"Ah…hah…Ru…by…," I breathed out, only to be responded with her steady breathing.

"Ruby…?"

I looked down at her motionless form.

"Rubes…?"

Still no response.

"…Dammit…," I sighed, the handcuffs now irritating my obviously sore and raw wrists.

* * *

 **That morning...**

* * *

"Nn…mm…."

I blinked, hearing Ruby begin to stir.

After a restless night of contemplating our future, Ruby had finally woke up just as the sun began to rise.

"Hmm…huh…?"

Ruby raised herself off my body as I asked, "…so how long are you gonna leave these cuffs on me…?"

Ruby blinked at me, then shot wide awake as she looked at me, then the handcuffs that bound my wrists to my bed post.

"H-huh? Wha—wait, what?"

"You were drunk," I explained, "And you put me in handcuffs and locked me to the bedpost."

"B-but," Ruby stammered, "Wh-why are you still in them!?"

"'Cuz you forgot to let me free," I stated, slightly annoyed.

Ruby was quick to undo the cuffs as I quickly threw off my sweat soaked shirt and flopped back into bed.

"Del?"

"Good night."

* * *

 **Later that day...**

* * *

I yawned, walking into the tavern as Ruby nudged my cheek and asked, "Are you alright?"

"You tell me," I replied yawning again as I sat down at my team's table.

"…you look like hammered shit," Hotel stated. Lima immediately stood up and began circling me, then looked at Ruby. I yawned again and replied, "Don't ask."

"Let me guess," Sierra stated, going through her scroll, "Ruby was so buzzed last night that she handcuffed you and you couldn't sleep cuz she knocked out, right?"

 _What the fuck?_

"How the fuck do you know this shit," I muttered to myself as Ruby turned away.

Closing her scroll, Sierra replied, "Cuz I'm with your cousin 24/7 nowadays. He knows you like the back of his hand."

"Just like I know him like the back of my sword," I muttered out again. Ruby began rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me as Sierra stood up and motioned for us to follow her into a private room that dad had made specifically for us. I groaned as I stood up, my muscles arguing with my brain as Ruby assisted me, following us to our briefing room.

Inside was a lone table with four seats, which Sierra dropped her scroll on and brought up a mission plan of sorts. Almost immediately, I took note of the picture of Roman Torchwick. Sierra then continued by saying, "Sources state that Roman Torchwick is still in the realms of Vale. However, the last sighting of him was supposedly close to Vacuo."

"Great," Hotel stated, "Going back to that heap of sand."

"However…," Sierra trailed on.

… _I don't like that tone in her voice…._

Sierra immediately looked at me and Ruby.

"This is strictly a mission for Team SHLD, Ruby," Sierra stated. I glanced at Ruby, who gave a look of disappointment as a knock on the door suddenly caught our attention. We all turned to face it as my dad popped his head in and said, "Someone wants to see you guys."

A woman unfamiliar to me popped her head into the room. Her maroon eyes scanned the room, landing squarely on Hotel and Sierra, of which the former flinched and the latter's eyes widened in surprise. The woman then smiled as she asked, "May I enter?"

Sierra quickly turned off the mission plan projector as the woman kept her eyes on her exclusively and expectantly as my leader quickly waved her in.

"I-I didn't think you were still here," Sierra stammered as the woman smiled. She then pulled Sierra into a hug, catching me off guard as she then turned to Hotel. Said man was quick to glance away as the woman then asked, "Hotel? Have you been keeping her out of trouble?"

"Yes ma'am," Hotel replied.

 _Is she Hotel's mom? Or possibly Sierra's mom?_

The woman then turned back to Sierra and said, "I don't believe you've introduced me to your team yet, Sierra."

"O-Oh! Right…," Sierra replied, scratching the back of her head, "This here is Lima-," she walked over to Lima, who's ears were perked and alert, "—And this here's Delta, who just proposed to Ruby here, who's the leader of her own team."

"…Sierra?"

"This is Marone Hawthorne," Sierra immediately answered, seemingly reading my mind, "She was my caretaker and adoptive mother."

"Why hello," the woman stated, bowing politely. I stood up and reciprocated, as did Ruby, as she then looked back at Sierra. Said leader blinked in confusion as she then walked up to her and pulled a pocket watch of sorts out of her pocket.

"I believe you lost this some time ago," Marone stated, handing the pocket watch over.

Sierra's eyes seemingly beamed with delight as she happily took it and asked, "Wh-where did you find it!?"

"Downstream from where you lost it," Marone replied, then bowed politely to us and said, "Excuse me now."


	22. Missing You

**How's it going everybody? I won't lie to you; now that season 3's officially out, I've had a lot of things on my mind. For example, I've been stuck on how I'm going to progress, how the fights should be, etc. Anyway, any suggestions feel free to throw them out. ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Delta on the transport chopper...**

* * *

"…please be safe," Ruby said to me over my scroll.

"Don't worry, Rubes," I explained, "I'll be fine."

"…Alright…."

"…okay, I've gotta go," I quickly stated, hearing her give me a goodbye as I hung up.

"Delta!"

"What's up!?"

"Get ready!"

I nodded as Sierra opened the door, hot air flowing in, causing me to gasp at the sudden change in air pressure. I then took a glance outside, seeing sand as far as the eye could see. I then glanced back at Sierra, who motioned back to the rest of the team. Hotel smirked as Lima folded her newly-out-of-retirement axe into rifle mode and slung it onto her back.

"OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT!"

With that, I jumped out, letting out an exhilarated shout. The air blew into my face as my team was quick to assemble around me. It felt like it had been forever since I had been on a proper mission.

Suddenly, sand blew all over. I was quick to recover as I felt a heavy shockwave course throughout my legs, causing me to hold back a scream of pain. I then heard several soft thuds, causing me to turn around to see Lima patting the dust off her clothing, Hotel stretching, and Sierra cracking her neck. I was about to ask how they had made it out unscathed before Sierra answered, "Not my fault you didn't hold on."

… _Time control…of course…._

"Fuuuuck…," I groaned, falling onto my back. However, I was quick to regret my decision as the burning sand quickly made me jump back onto my feet. I was quick to cuss again as I jumped up and down, suddenly feeling something wet trickle down my back, causing me to yelp again at the sudden change in temperature, turning around to see Lima with a water pouch.

"Easy there, Wolfie," Sierra stated, "We need that stuff here."

"…Roger…," Lima replied as Hotel let out a sigh, the said, "So how the hell does the military expect us to find Torchwick out here?"

"No clue," Sierra replied, opening up her scroll and continuing, "Doesn't help that we don't get any signal down here, either."

"Well," Hotel sighed out, "That sucks."

I then looked around, then pointed Alternate Echo towards the top of a sand dune, shooting a sword to the top of it. I then turned on my earpiece, hearing it beep as it connected with everyone else's. I then shot a thumbs up at Sierra, then teleported up to my weapon, immediately being met with a decently strong gust of wind. I immediately closed my eyes, feeling sand blow onto my face, slowly opening my eyes, seeing a sea of sand, as well as a group of palm trees in the distance.

"Anything up there, D?"

"Nope," I replied, "Just sand. Sand, sand, and more fucking sand."

I pulled my sword out of the sand and sheathed it, turning back around to look at my team.

"And a bunch of palm trees in the distance," I continued, slinging my sword sheath around my back. Sierra waved towards me, causing me to begin running down the dune a little faster than I had anticipated as I skidded to a stop, narrowly shifting my weight just enough so as I didn't end up face planting into the burning sand.

"Now then," Sierra stated, pulling out her pocket watch, "Looks like we've got some time to be searching for this supposed hideout."

"Any ideas where to start?"

"Nope," Sierra replied, putting her pocket watch away. I nearly dropped onto the ground in disbelief, but quickly caught myself from burning my face off as I suddenly took note of the heat, as well as the amount of sweat that I had lost.

"Goddamn it's hot," I breathed out, resisting the urge to peel my shirt off.

"You're one to talk," Sierra stated, pointing at Lima, who was utterly drenched.

"Holy Christ," I half-screamed as my faunus partner opened her water pouch and took a sip from it.

* * *

"Phew…," Sierra sighed, sitting down next to a palm tree. I did the same, spotting what appeared to be fruit at the top of the trees as Hotel immediately pulled his spear out, checking to see if any sand got into it. Lima continued panting in an attempt to cool down, digging into the sand in what I could only assume to find a cooler place.

"Is it just me," I asked, "Or is anyone else hungry?"

Just then, an audible growl filled the air. I turned to Sierra, who kept her gaze averted from mine, causing me to grin as I pulled out a sword. I then lightly tossed it up, knocking some off the fruit down, which I quickly identified as dates.

"Just a light meal," I identified, "And I'd much rather have them a little unripe anyway."

Sierra grunted as we all gathered around the freshly cut bushel.

Picking a few at a time, I rematerialized my sword back to my hand and quickly sheathed it. I then took a look at the sun, now setting down the dunes of the desert. The temperature wasn't as brutal as it was before, but it was still cool enough to require a fire.

"I'll start a fire," I stated, standing up.

Pulling off several strips of bark, it then occurred to me that we were strictly told to go on this mission _alone_. Not with any other team. _Alone_. Almost like….

"…Sierra," I spoke up, turning back around, "Does something seem…off…?"

"Hmm?"

Sierra looked up at me from eating her dates.

"I mean," I continued, "We were given a mission that only we were allowed to do. We weren't even allowed to invite any other team."

"It's not uncommon for teams to receive special missions," Sierra stated, standing up and stretching.

"Yeah, but…," I continued, immediately thinking about Ruby.

"…You'll be fine, D," Sierra stated, walking over to me to pat me on the back, "We'll get back home soon enough."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back at Vale... (3rd POV)**

* * *

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."

Ruby sighed, putting her scroll down on her side table disappointedly.

"…Del…," she mumbled, "…please come back soon…."

 ***knock knock***

Ruby jumped off her bed in surprise, then called, "Come in!"

The door opened as Yang gave her a thumbs up. Ruby smiled as her older sister walked in and sat next to her on her bed. The springs strained slightly under their weight as Yang asked, "Feeling lonely?"

"Huh? Wh-what makes you think that!?"

"Ruby…."

Ruby opened her mouth to protest again, but was greeted with Yang giving her a serious look.

"…Okay, I am…," Ruby sighed out, "I don't know why…I really want to be next to him at all times."

"It's alright, Ruby," Yang stated, pulling the younger girl into a hug. Ruby blinked in slight confusion as Yang continued, "If it's someone you love…it's alright to miss them."

"Why do you say that?"

Yang pulled away from Ruby slightly and stated, "When I'm traveling around, I think of everyone. A lot. Especially Hotel, but that's beyond the point. But it's not a bad thing to think about those that you love."

Blinking, Ruby averted her gaze from Yang's and mumbled, "…I wonder if mom told you that."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Ruby replied, "Just talking to myself."

Just then, Ruby's scroll made a sound, causing both girls to jump in surprise. Ruby immediately dove for it, grabbing it as she flopped onto the bed and looked at her notification, seeing that it was a message from some senior huntsman. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, she opened it, reading what she could only describe as a mission plan.

* * *

 **Back to Team SHLD in the desert... (Delta POV)**

* * *

I kept an eye out, trying to spot any suspicious activity as the others slept on their makeshift hammocks. I could probably guess that Ruby's tried to contact me at some point in the night, but speaking as I didn't have any kind of signal, I was in a bit of a pickle. Once I got back to Vale, I was most likely going to get an earful from her…great.

Just then, the sound of an airship mixed in with the desert wind filled the air. I looked eastward, indeed spotting an airship, most likely a Bullhead, flying along as it quickly flew overhead, then continued on a westward trail. Slowly, I reached my hand up to my earpiece and said, "I've got a VTOL here, Sierra."

"I saw," she replied, "Let's get moving before we lose it."

"Roger that," I answered back, jumping down from the tree, rolling to break the fall.

"Now c'mon," Sierra stated, causing me to turn around to see Lima rubbing her eyes, "That ship isn't going to follow itself, here."

"Already on it," I replied as Lima gingerly walked over to me, then past me as her ears her ears twitching.

"Got a lock?"

Lima nodded.

I nodded as well, then turned to Hotel, who jumped to his feet.

"Let's get going," Sierra stated, beginning to make her way towards where the Bullhead was heading.

* * *

 **Ruby back at Vale...**

* * *

"Excuse me!"

Ruby entered an office room of sorts, being greeted by a senior huntsman, as well as, to her surprise, Ozpin. The senior raised an eyebrow in surprise as Ruby made her way to the two, who appeared to be having a pretty intense conversation. Ozpin took notice of Ruby as she approached as the senior huntsman asked, "You're going to trust a child?"

"She is not a child," Ozpin stated, "She is a former student, as well as one of the most skilled scythe users other than Qrow."

The man sighed, then looked at Ruby, who flinched.

Grimacing, the man turned back to Ozpin and said, "…This must be a mistake, Ozpin."

"It is not," Ozpin replied, "In fact, Team RWBY is almost too capable for this mission."

"Umm…sir?"

Both men looked at Ruby, who was twirling a strand of hair nervously. Both men stared at her for a moment before Ozpin cleared his throat and said, "Ah…yes. Hello Ruby."

"Hello," Ruby replied as the other huntsman scoffed.

"She is still a child, Ozpin," the man stated. However, Ozpin shot him a look again, causing him to avert his gaze. Ruby averted her gaze as well, but then glanced back at Ozpin and asked, "…Am I going to help Delta?"

Ozpin shook his head.

"I need you to investigate Mountain Glenn once more," Ozpin explained.

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as the man immediately said, "No!"

"Don't worry," Ozpin said, "She's been there before with her team."

"You let her go _there_!?"

"She is more than capable," Ozpin said again, walking up to Ruby. He placed a hand on her shoulder as the other huntsman continued to complain. Ruby blinked as Ozpin said, "I'm counting on you and your team once more."

"I won't let you down," Ruby replied, smiling as she saluted.


	23. Missing Data

**Here I am again, peeps! Lately, I've been having panic attacks, so I haven't been thinking about this story. Hah...well, enjoy, peeps!**

* * *

"…VTOL's landing," Lima stated.

I looked over the dune we were hiding behind, spotting the ship descending on what appeared to be an opening in the sand.

… _Under us. Of course._

"How the hell didn't we think about that," I asked.

"Because it's so obvious," Sierra replied, her eyes glowing red as she grunted. Suddenly, everything stopped as color began to fade into gray. Immediately, we took off towards the opening, jumping in just after the ship, all landing on the wings as time slowly began to turn again. We all lay flat as the ship's decent slowed, followed by an audible "CLANG" and "hiss" as the landing gear strained under the weight. Time froze again as we all jumped off and made for some conveniently placed crates, quickly jumping behind them as time began running again just as quickly.

I turned to Lima, whose ears were twitching as men began shouting towards each other.

"What you got, Lima?"

"…He's not here…," Lima growled, her ears flicking annoyingly.

"God fucking dammit," Sierra breathed, sneaking around one way. I was about to follow her before she said through the com, "Don't bunch up; that'll give away our position."

"Roger that," I replied, turning to Hotel. I motioned for him to follow her, getting a nod as he crawled after her. I then regrouped with Lima, who was still flicking her ears, almost as if she were trying to focus her hearing better.

"What's up?"

Lima grimaced, then looked up.

I blinked, then followed her lead, seeing an overpass of sorts, as well as eyes locked on us. I blinked again as the owner of the eyes rubbed them, then blinked again in what I could only describe as surprise as I slowly waved at them, putting on an "oh shit" smile.

"YOU THERE! STOP!"

"Time to go, partner!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Mountain Glenn...**

* * *

Ruby continued whacking away at nuisance Grimm as Yang let out an exhilarated scream, nailing another Ursa in the gut. Left and right, it seemed like the Grimm were never ending as Blake, who had decided to stay in Vale for the time being, appeared and slashed the heads off several more. The only person that was absent was Weiss, who apologized dearly for being unable to make the trip.

"Phew! That's a workout," Yang exclaimed, rotating her shoulder. Blake, who had turned Gambol Shroud into a full length katana and iron sheath that transformed into a second sword if needed be, swung the Grimm blood off her blade and nodded. Ruby glanced back at the two, smiling as she thought about how Weiss probably would've yelled at her for doing something rash.

"Ruby," Blake then stated, "We know where we should be. Let's get moving."

"I couldn't have said that any better, Blake," Ruby replied, hiking Crescent Rose onto her shoulder.

* * *

 **Back to Delta at the base...**

* * *

I continued running around the base, dragging poor Lima along with the sound of footsteps still close behind us.

 _We've almost got no choice! But can't stop! In no way can I stop!_

I could hear Lima whimper behind me, causing me to make a sharp left at a four way intersection. I then spotted a door to my left, causing me to bring us to a screeching stop, quickly opening the door and throwing a sword in it, slamming it shut again as I ran back the way we came. I could tell Lima was a bit confused as to what I was planning considering she began resisting. I then spotted the group of baddies that were chasing us, getting a yelp of fear from Lima.

Grinning, I continued running towards them, dragging her with as I jumped, immediately rematerializing us back to the room I had thrown my sword into, pulling Lima close as I laughed, quickly shutting my mouth as Lima stared at me, wide-eyed, her ears flat with fear as I smiled at her. She then sighed and dropped her head on my chest and whimpered, "Don't…do that…again…."

"Sorry about that," I chuckled as the sound of feet running past us filled the hallway beyond the door. I felt adrenaline surge through my system again as I looked around and found some more crates lying around. I was quick to sheath my sword and jump over them, followed by Lima, as the door opened. Ducking, I held my breath as the sound of footsteps approaching the crates, only to feel a tap on my head as Sierra's voice asked, "…What the fuck did you two do?"

Immediately, Lima jumped over the crates and tackled our leader.

I let out the breath that I was holding in as I stood up, relieved to see the other two members of our team. Sierra shot me a disappointed look as I scratched the back of my head, embarrassment flooding my system. Hotel gave a light chuckle and walked over to me, patting my back as he said, "Don't worry about one little slip up."

"Well…," Sierra sighed, "Now that our cover's blown, let's get moving."

* * *

 **Back to Team RWBY...**

* * *

"Here we are!"

Ruby looked up into the old collapsed portion of the tunnel. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered her junior year at Beacon; when Sierra accelerated the lifetime growth of that portion of the tunnel to collapse it. It had saved them from impeding death from two Deathstalkers; one of she had run into with Delta and the second which had chased Yang and Hotel from where they had started.

"This brings back memories," Yang stated, walking up to put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. Blake followed suit as Ruby turned to go into the portion that wasn't collapsed. Both of her teammates blinking in confusion as Ruby stopped to explain, "We're to look for anything we might've missed since the last time we were here."

"Oh," Yang said, "Right."

"Maybe we'll find something important," Blake stated as they all went into the unexplored portion.

* * *

 **Back to Team SHLD...**

* * *

"…Weird…."

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't it seem like…we've been here before…?"

I looked around, suddenly noticing the scene change from metal halls to rock tunnels.

 _What…the…?_

"Lima," I turned to my partner, "How long have we been sneaking around?"

"…Several hours…," she stated.

 _Holy shit!_

Hotel whistled in amazement as Sierra turned to us and said, "I'd opt for a break, but given the circumstances, we really can't afford to take one. Sorry, guys."

"All good," Hotel replied, stretching. I did the same as Lima gingerly walked up to me, moving Alternate Echo to my waist.

"Lima-?"

Suddenly, she crawled onto my back, catching me by surprise as she muttered, "…tired…."

"O…kay…," I replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion as she yawned, then rested her head on my shoulders.

… _Has she always been this light?_

"Oh great," Sierra stated, "Now our ears are asleep."

* * *

 **And now to RWBY again...**

* * *

"…how long have we been walking…?"

Ruby sighed, finally dropping to her knees, getting caught by Yang. Blake took a seat on a nearby boulder as Yang walked Ruby over to her, setting her on the boulder as well. Ruby then glanced down the dark tunnel and asked, "How much longer do we need to walk?"

"Doesn't look much further," Blake stated, her acute eyesight spotting outlines walking about in the darkness. Her ears, despite not being as sharp as Lima's, picked up some voices speaking in the darkness.

"What's up, Blake?"

"Voices," Blake stated as the voices slowly began to grow louder.

Yang then heard the voices as well.

Ruby cocked Crescent Rose, causing the voices to stop as she fired a round, the gunshot echoing in the tunnel. A cloud of rose petals covered Yang's lap as several bangs were quick to fill the tunnel as well, followed by a body flying through the air and landing in front of the other two girls. Blake blinked in surprise, noticing the mask reminiscent of the White Fang. The sound of a body getting dragged along filled the air as Ruby appeared with another man, Crescent Rose hiked up on her shoulder victoriously.

"Holy cow, Ruby!"

Ruby tossed the man onto the other man, both of them groaning in pain as Ruby said, "Now we know which way to go!"

* * *

"Whoa…."

Ruby stared in awe at the cavernous area that they had entered. She then cocked Crescent Rose, anticipating a fight.

Yang released Ember Celica, preparing for a sneak attack.

Black kept a hand on Gambol Shroud, ready to activate her semblance for combat.

As they slowly made their way to the center of the room, lights suddenly flicked on, catching them off guard as a slow clap filled the air. Ruby spun around to find the source of the clapping, spotting Roman Torchwick, with a smile plastered on his face as he said, "I've been expecting someone! And of course, it happens to be my best friends!"

The girls suddenly found themselves surrounded, causing them to go back to back.

Torchwick gave a hysterical laugh as Blake grimaced, shooting him a glare as he ordered, "Do what you will with them!"

* * *

 **To Team SHLD...again..**

* * *

 ***BANG***

"Alright," Sierra stated menacingly, "Spit it out; where is he?"

The man she slammed against a nearby wall groaned, unwilling to speak.

"…Okay," Sierra said, pulling a knife out, "You can make this painless, or make it extremely painful. Your choice."

The man remained silent.

I turned away as Sierra stated, "Have it your way."

The man then let out a scream of pain as I walked over to a man that Hotel was holding down. The man continued struggling, attempting to get out from under Hotel's spear as I pointed my sword at him. The man then looked back at me as I asked, "Any last words?"

"H-hold on, Delta!"

I froze.

Hotel's eyes widened in surprise.

Sierra immediately turned back towards us.

Lima's ears perked in alertness.

 _What…the…?_

"Hold on," the man continued, "I-I can help!"

I furrowed my brow, raising an eyebrow in suspicion as I reached my sword down to his mask, flicking it off. I felt a surge of anger flood my system at the man behind the mask. I could hear Hotel's spear click as he held his own anger back. The sound of a body dropping, followed by an audible "THUD," quickly followed as Sierra said, "…let him go."

Hotel hesitated to do as he was ordered, but slowly relaxed his spear's death stamp as Sierra immediately picked the man up and slugged him in the cheek. I held back from hitting the man myself as Lima walked up next to me, growling in anger. I glared at the man, who quickly recomposed himself as he said, "I...can tell you…Torchwick's location!"

Sierra glared at him, then asked, "…and why should we trust you?"

"Because," the man stated, "I respect Delta."

I almost didn't believe it. The man turned to me and nodded. I returned the gesture as the man said, "I do apologize for what happened at Beacon, I truly do. However, Torchwick has returned to Mountain Glenn. For what reason, I'm not sure."

"And why should we believe you?"

"Because," the man stated, "I promised myself that, after Sling nearly killed you, I wouldn't let Ruby get hurt anymore."

"…Bullseye…," I breathed out, gripping my sword even tighter.

"…I'm holding you to that," Sierra stated, putting her knife away. Magnum averted his gaze, then dropped to his knees bowing. I walked over to him and said, "I swear on my life…."

"…Sierra...," I said, "...I believe him."

"Delta!"

I turned back to him, kneeling down and picking him up.

"However…."

Magnum blinked at me as I held my sword up to his throat and said, "If you're lying to me, I'll cut your head off."

"Understood," Magnum replied as I let him go.


	24. Rematch

**What's up, y'all? Yeah, I've been silent lately. Well, this might be the last chapter I update for a while because of: 1) Panic attacks, 2) Writer's block. Again, with Beacon, please do feel free to fire any thoughts and/or suggestions via review or pm. So please, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Team RWBY**

* * *

"Yang, heads up!"

Yang turned around, reflexively punching a man out of the air, then fired her forward chamber on her left arm, elbowing a man in the gut, then fired the rear barrel, blasting him backwards as she followed up with a right hook, then a left at the waves of men. Ruby continued flying from place to place, avoiding using her scythe blade on them as she continued sending men flying. Blake continued jumping from place to place as well, simply disarming men and kicking them away.

"Grr…," Torchwick growled, annoyed, tapping his can against the ground. He began pacing back and forth, worried that his men wouldn't be able to defeat the girls that were a thorn in his side. Grimacing, he looked back down, then said, "Neo."

A small girl with an umbrella appeared behind him as he said, "Make sure they don't make it out alive."

Neo simply smiled as she jumped down.

Yang immediately turned to face her, grimacing as Blake and Ruby ran up to join her.

"Go on ahead girls," Yang stated, "I've got a bone to pick with this one."

"But Yang-!"

"Go," Yang said sternly, getting into her stance. Ruby furrowed her brow, looking at Blake, who nodded, then turned to chase Torchwick. Ruby glanced back at Yang and muttered, "…please be safe."

With a gunshot, she disappeared after Blake.

Yang frowned, then charged at the smaller girl, who simply smirked as they engaged in battle.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, Team SHLD... (Delta POV)**

* * *

"Here."

Magnum jumped into the driver seat of a jeep of sorts.

We were quick to follow as he turned the key that was conveniently left in the ignition, the vehicle roaring to a start as the wheels squealed. I held onto whatever I could hold onto for dear life as he sped down the tunnel. There was a sharp turn, then another, then another as Sierra yelled, "Do you know where we're going!?"

"Yes," Magnum yelled back, "These tunnels were drilled by the White Fang after the train tunnel collapsed!"

"What are they planning!?"

"They were planning on trying to lead Grimm back into the city!"

"Again!?"

"They wanted to have more influence within the kingdoms! Then they were gonna nominate someone into the council so they had a lot of the kingdom's people behind them!"

I gave a groan of annoyance and said to myself, "They never learn, do they…?"

* * *

 **Ruby and Blake's chase...**

* * *

Ruby and Blake continued running along through the tunnel, only to end up in another open room. This time, however, Torchwick was running through it, only for Blake to appear in front of him, causing him to screech to a stop. Ruby approached him from the rear, Crescent Rose in hand as she said, "You aren't getting away!"

Torchwick simply puffed a ball of smoke from his mouth, pulling his cigar away from his face as he said, "…persistent."

"So then, Kitty," Torchwick then stated, catching Blake's attention, "Are you sure you want to fight against me?"

"Of course," Blake replied, "Anything to stop you."

Torchwick glanced at her, then chuckled as he said, "Bad choice…."

Blake blinked in confusion, then saw a blade fly at lightning speed at her.

Instinctively, she fired Gambol Shroud, leaving a shadow as she regrouped with Ruby, who was staring in awe at what had just happened. Torchwick let out a laugh as a tall Faunus slashed his blade clean of Blake's shadow, staring back at her. Blake shuddered, trembling in shock and fear as Ruby raised Crescent Rose, ready to fight as Torchwick stated, "I'll let you dance with them."

With that, Torchwick began running again.

"Wait!"

Ruby immediately attempted to pursue him, only to get tackled by Blake as the man's sword slashed at the second shadow Blake had left.

"Ruby, don't go after him," Blake breathed out, "We need to run!"

"What? Why? We're so close!"

Ruby jumped back to her feet as Blake held her arm and said, "We can't beat him!"

"You'll never know until we try!"

With that, Ruby charged at the man again.

The man simply stepped to the side, causing Ruby to whiff as he tagged her with several lightning quick slashes, causing her to get sent flying backwards. Blake was quick to catch her, getting thrown back by the force as they both broke through the cavern wall. The man sheathed his sword as both girls fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Have you really gotten so weak?"

Blake got back to her feet, gripping her side as she said, "I could say the same about you, Adam."

The man got into his stance, his aura flowing dangerously as he said, "You should've stayed with me, Blake."

Blake nervously reached down to her own sword, shooting a quick glance back to Ruby. She then turned her attention back to Adam, drawing her sword as he charged. Raising her sword, she deflected several of his attacks, barely keeping up as she changed their course away from Ruby.

Sparks filled the air as Blake continued jumping away from Adam, staying on the defensive as Adam simply continued barraging her with slashes.

"Can you keep up?"

Blake felt one cut on her left arm.

"Or did you slow down?"

She felt another on her right arm.

"Have you forgotten what I've taught you?"

She then felt a cut down her back, causing her to wince in pain as she dropped to the ground.

Adam appeared in front of her, sword glinting as he raised his sword victoriously. However, a gunshot filled the cavern again as Ruby kicked him away from her teammate. Adam skidded to a stop as Ruby leaned down, concern written on her face as Blake looked back up, the pain obvious in her face. Adam sheathed his sword again, preparing to attack yet again.

"Ruby…!"

"I won't let you die."

Blake furrowed her brow, looking at the ground as Ruby continued, "You're you, Blake. Not anyone, or anything else."

Both Ruby and Adam charged at each other again, clangs and gunshots filling the cavern as Blake gripped her sword, disappointment and worry filling her system.

* * *

It was exactly like before.

No matter how hard or fast she swung, Yang just couldn't connect with Neo. She just couldn't touch her. But Neo could touch her.

Yang let out another gawk as Neo kneed her in the gut, the kicked her away for the umpteenth time.

Spitting out some blood, she wiped away a stray trail streaking from her bloodied mouth as she let out another shout, charging the smaller girl again, growing increasingly annoyed as she began swinging yet again, her punches seemingly flying away from her again as she was hit with a leg sweep, then a knee to the face, then lifted by her hair, causing her to grab at the hand holding her.

Neo smirked, staring at the face of pain, but then felt a burning sensation coming off the girl.

"D…don't…," Yang breathed.

Yang's grip steadily began growing stronger and stronger before Neo was forced to let go, waving her hand from the heat that had suddenly emitted from Yang. Yang's eyes began to water out of pure anger as her aura began swirling around her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, glaring at the girl holding her beautiful golden locks.

"DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR!"

Yang suddenly exploded. Her hair began burning and her eyes burned deep red as she glared at the smaller girl. Her glare intensified as she yelled, "YOU BIIIITCH!"

Yang shot Ember Celica to the ground, accelerating her pace as she swung at Neo, who simply disappeared again. However, Yang followed up with a quick left, connecting with the smaller girl's gut, getting a gawk of surprise from her as Yang then elbowed the back of Neo's neck. With rage surging through her system, she began punching as hard and fast as she could, leaving a crater in the ground, shotgun shells landing all over in the crater as Yang pulled back her arm, her fist on fire as she fired one last round backwards, slamming her fist in the ground so hard that a "CRACK" filled the air.

Her breathing labored, Yang watched as the dust cleared away, her right arm Ember Celica dented and cracked badly and her hand misshaped from broken bones. But she didn't care; she had finally gotten the thorn in her side. Only to find that her target wasn't beneath her fist.

Suddenly, she felt a kick to her temple, sending her flying as she skidded along the ground, hitting a stray boulder as she coughed up blood. She then felt a kick to her gut, causing her to cringe into a fetal position as pain surged through her body. Her weapons retracted back into bracelets as she glared up at Neo, who was grinning victoriously as she gripped the butt of her umbrella.

"…d…damn…it…," Yang breathed out, shutting her eyes, expecting the inevitable.

Just then, the sound of an engine filled the tunnels.

Neo stopped, turning around to face the direction of the noise.

There was a faint light that glew in the faint shadowed tunnel.

Neo squinted in an attempt to see the shape better, only to see a heel fly at her face, connecting as she was sent to the other side of the cavern they were fighting in.

"Yang!"

Yang opened her eyes, seeing Hotel as he held her, worried.

"Yang! Are you alright!?"

"H…ho…tel…?"

"Delta, get a move on!"

"Already on it!"

The sound of Delta's running footsteps quickly disappeared as Yang slowly sat up, Lima holding her right arm, inspecting the hand she had broken.

"Jesus Christ, Sunshine," Hotel cursed, holding her hand, causing her to wince slightly.

Sierra kept her eyes on Neo, who was rubbing her cheek, then wiped away a trail of blood trailing out from her mouth. The girl inspected the blood, then smirked as she rested her umbrella on her shoulder. Sierra couldn't help but smirk as well as she stated, "Ooooh, this should be fun!"

* * *

Ruby grunted, feeling another heavy slash as Adam charged her again, getting stopped by Blake as she pushed him back.

Her mind still jumbled, Blake turned back to Ruby momentarily, but then heard Adam say, "Don't look away from me!"

Turning back, she heard a gunshot, then felt something blunt hit her side, causing her to gawk in pain as Adam's swords' sheath sent her flying backwards, rolling several times before stopping.

Picking the sheath up, Adam sheathed his sword again, beginning to walk up to the two girls once more. Ruby winced, attempting to get to her feet, but felt her legs give out, watching helplessly as Adam approached Blake, slowly drawing his sword. Blake, intimidated, remained frozen, like prey cornered by a predator, as Adam stated, "You never should've run away."

"No! Blake!"

Suddenly, she felt something pressing against the back of her neck. She felt arms wrap around her body, feeling the world slow down. She then felt a shiver go down her spine as Delta's familiar voice stated, "I've got her, Rubes."

A sword suddenly landed between the two Faunus.

Blake blinked in confusion, then looked up to see Delta appear with one hand on the sword in the ground, and another sword in the opposite hand in mid-swing.

The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air as both men stared each other down, their swords shining under the lights that illuminated the cave. Adam was quick to jump back as Delta pulled his sword out of the ground. Ruby found herself frozen in place as Delta's aura began swirling around him.

"…Ruby," Delta called, exchanging silent words with her. Ruby fired Crescent Rose,

The other two swords that Delta carried floated around and lined up over his left shoulder. Adam gave a sound of surprise as Delta took his stance. In his head, Delta visualized the movement that Adam employed against him so many years ago. Both swordsmen stared each other down, slowly beginning to stray away from the two girls to give themselves room.

"Del…?"

"Watch her," Delta stated before he and Adam suddenly disappeared.

Ruby blinked, suddenly hearing a "CLANG", causing her to look around, spotting Delta's sword locked with Adam's. A sudden wave of aura blew past them, causing her to wince, bracing against the wind as their aura swirled around them.

* * *

 **By the way, if anyone has any request on how I originally imagined Delta, I've got a pretty boring picture of him with Ruby on my new DeviantArt account. Here's the link for the page:** **fooey - 9 . deviantart . com**

 **I'll see y'all next time!**


	25. Fates Intertwined

**Hello again, everybody! Sorry for my absence; panic attacks aren't good for me. But I've had this done and was focusing on school, as well as having massive writer's block...and lack of motivation. Anyway, let's get on to the much anticipated rematch between Adam and Delta!**

* * *

 **Sierra vs. Neo**

* * *

Sierra kept her gaze on Neo, staring down the strange girl in front of her, who kept a smirk on her face.

"…Yang," Sierra asked, "How in the world did this girl get you so pissed off that you went and broke your hand?"

"Fuck her," Yang replied, "She can rot in hell for all I care!"

Sierra sighed, then began walking towards Neo, whose pupils were flipping around every so often. Even if Sierra was short, Neo was unbelievably short compared to her as she stopped in front of her, sizing her up. There was something about Neo that Sierra didn't like; something that made her feel extra cautious about fighting her.

Suddenly, Sierra felt something hit her, causing her to go reeling to her right.

Quickly regaining her balance, she immediately turned back to Neo, only to see that the girl was still standing in place. Scoffing, Sierra immediately walked back over to her, feigning a punch. Immediately, her she froze time as Neo began moving, positioning herself so that she could connect with the girl, unfreezing time. Neo's smirk immediately disappeared as Sierra's fist connected with her face, sending her backwards some ways.

"She connected," Yang stated in surprise.

"Hmm?"

"When I fought her, I couldn't even get close to landing a blow on her," Yang explained to Hotel, then winced as she attempted to flex her hand. Hotel immediately took notice of her aggravated action, taking hold of her right arm. Yang scoffed as he said, "Easy there, Sunshine."

Sierra then flipped a knife out of her leg holster, throwing it towards Neo, who simply opened her umbrella, the knife bouncing off pathetically.

" _Hmm,"_ Sierra thought to herself, _"Makes sense I guess."_

Sierra blinked, time freezing instantly as she began setting knives at various spots. She then snapped her fingers, revealing her actions, catching Neo off guard as she waved the knives towards her. However, the girl simply did the same thing and deflected them all with her umbrella once more.

"Okaaaaay," Sierra said, "Let's try this…."

Sierra then threw some knives into the air as she charged Neo, freezing time just before she got to her as she surrounded her with knives, then jumped back over to the knives she had thrown in the air, unfreezing time as she threw them.

Neo looked around at the many knives that surrounded her, smirking as she suddenly deflected them all in one smooth motion.

"…oooohhh, this girl is pissing me off," Sierra stated her smirk slowly disappearing from her face.

"Easy Sierra," Hotel stated as Sierra began to walk back over to the girl, only for Neo to quickly close the distance between them and knee her in the gut. Sierra gawked in surprise, then felt something pull at her bangs. Silver strands of hair began floating down to the ground as Neo threw away Sierra's hair ribbons, then kicked her gut again, sweeping her legs out. With a gawk, she instantly felt something kick her ribs, sending her flying backwards, smashing into some crates.

Lima, who had been tenderly treating Yang's injury, immediately jumped to her feet in surprise and worry as Neo turned her attention to them. Hotel immediately began reaching for his spear, mentally preparing for a fight. Yang grimaced and attempted to stand back up, only to be ushered down as Lima shook her head. Hotel shot a quick glance back at them and pulled out his spear, but then rethought his actions. He motioned for Lima to stand down, causing her to blink in confusion when there was a sudden pulse of Aura, causing her to look back towards the rubble Sierra had just been sent flying through, suddenly seeing a glint, as well as the rubble slashing in half as a red glow emitted from the dust.

Rocks and crates slashed in half as Sierra's eyes glowed bright scarlet in the brightly lit cavern. Her aura surged around her, her bangs flowing freely from now snapped bowties as she stated, "Unforgivable…."

Neo immediately froze, sensing familiarity in Sierra's eyes.

"…You recognize me now, don't you?"

* * *

 **The rematch...**

* * *

Delta quickly reset himself, blocking another heavy slash as several sparks filled the air again, followed by a loud "CLANG" as he and Adam struggled against each other.

Ruby braced herself as another wave of aura surged past her and Blake. The latter remained motionless, still confused as to whether she wanted to run or help. A loud "BANG" filled the cavern as Adam sheathed his sword, walking menacingly towards the cloud of dust that had just kicked up. A small "Chk" filled the air as Adam gripped at the handle of his sword, ready to cut down his opponent.

Ruby stood up, preparing to jump in to fight.

Just then, two streaks came out of the cloud.

Adam followed them with his eyes, craning his head to see them nearly pierce the top of the cavern, only to feel something connect with his torso, causing him to reel back slightly.

Delta followed up with a vertical slash, chipping a piece of the man's mask as he then went for a diagonal slash, barely clipping a piece of Adam's suit as Delta then let go of his swords, enveloping them with his aura as he waved his hands about, causing Adam to draw his sword. Delta kept the heat going as Adam suddenly found himself on the defensive, attempting to block two swords at the same time.

" _Got you,"_ Delta thought to himself as he waved his other two swords down from where they had been floating.

Adam quickly glanced up, spotting the two swords flying down at him, catching him off guard.

However, he quickly reacted by sheathing his sword, his aura quickly surging as he slashed the two out of the air.

Just then, Delta appeared, his original swords in hand as he went for another body slash.

Adam quickly read the attack, easily parrying it as he kicked Delta away. A sudden surge of aura filled the air as Adam sheathed his sword and lowered his center of gravity. Delta stuck his sword in the ground, screeching to a stop as he looked back up, hearing Adam chuckling evilly. Furrowing his brow in confusion, Delta felt the sudden surge of aura, widening his eyes in shock.

Almost instinctively, he leaned back, seeing Adam's sword fly past his face, a piece of his hair getting clipped and immediately dissolving.

Landing on the ground, Delta then heard what sounded like metal getting stuck into the ground, causing him to look at the larger man, albeit upside down. Adam let out a shout as he dragged his sword through the ground, the rocks turning into wilting rose petals. Widening his eyes in surprise, Delta quickly rolled out of the way, continuing to do so as Adam kept up the barrage, leaving a trail of slashes in his wake before Delta called on one of his swords, blocking the blow.

Almost immediately, the sound of shattering metal filled the air as Delta flipped back onto his feet, the metal shards of his now broken sword falling onto the ground as he summoned another, feeling the huge blowback as Adam slashed at him again, his aura still thick with killing intent.

Delta grimaced, attempting to regain his footing, only to let out a gawk as he slammed against the wall of the cavern, reflexively raising his sword again as Adam slammed him against the wall harder.

"You certainly have improved," the man stated, "But you'll never be a match for me."

Just as quickly, Adam peeled back, sheathing his sword.

Delta widened his eyes, ducking under another slash as Adam slashed through yet another sword, another shattering "CLANG" filling the cavern.

Almost immediately, Delta summoned another sword, going for a slash to Adam's back, only to take a gunshot to the chest, sending him flying yet again.

Sheathing his sword again, Adam glanced backwards as Delta gasped for air. The latter glanced up, seeing his other unbroken sword in front of him, causing him to reach out to grab it. With a grunt, Delta pulled himself to his feet and turned around, pulling his sword from the ground it was stuck in. Grimacing, he watched as Adam turned around and asked, "Still won't go down, will you?"

"F…Fuck you…," Delta gasped, only to see the faunus in his face, causing him to yelp in surprise as Adam grabbed the collar of his shirt and threw him into the air.

Delta watched in slow motion as Adam drew his sword, his lips curling into an evil smirk. His life suddenly flashed before his eyes as the glint of the sword entered his vision.

* * *

" _Hey!"_

 _Some bullies turned towards a young Delta, who was nervously holding his book bag._

" _Leave her alone!"_

 _The bullies almost immediately turned away from a girl, probably his own age, as the bullies began walking towards him, causing him to shake and tremble in fear._

" _And who the hell do you think you are, pipsqueak?"_

" _D…Del…ta…," Delta replied with fear, only to get his book bag taken from him, followed by a punch to the gut, causing him to gawk in pain as he immediately dropped to the ground in a fetal position. The bullies laughed and began kicking away at him, screams of pain filling the air as the girl immediately jumped to her feet and yelled, "Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"_

 _The bullies turned back to face the girl._

 _The leader of the group snickered, then asked, "Oh yeah? You and what army?"_

 _Suddenly, the leader took a punch to the cheek. The two lackeys flinched in surprise as a blonde girl kicked one in the gut, then punched the other in the face. She then jumped on the leader and pulled him by the collar of his shirt, punching him senseless as the two lackeys immediately ran away._

" _If I see you messing with my sister again," the blonde stated, "I'll fucking kill you!"_

 _With that, she punched him in the temple, effectively knocking him out as she immediately ran over to the other girl, who, from careful observation, had silver eyes and dark red hair._

" _Are you okay Ruby?"_

" _I'm fine," the girl, a young Ruby stated, "But I'm not sure about him…."_

 _Young Delta, nearby, continued rolling on the ground in pain as the sisters walked over to him._

" _Are you okay?"_

" _I'm fine…!"_

 _Delta slowly got back to his feet, making eye contact with Ruby momentarily. His chest flared and his head felt like it was gonna explode as the girl smiled. He fixed his glasses as Ruby patted his shoulder and said, "Well…take care."_

* * *

" _A-and…! W-well, th-thank you for-!"_

" _Ruby."_

 _Ruby straightened up as Delta put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Relax. I'm glad to see you too."_

 _Ruby's anxious face turned into a look of relief as Delta smiled and said, "Hey Rubes, how's it going?"_

* * *

" _I love you, Ruby."_

 _Ruby's breath hitched._

" _I'm going to be really honest with you," Delta stated, "I never hated you. I love you. I really do."_

 _Ruby, watery eyed, pulled her hood over her head, attempting to hide her face that held a guilty happy smile. Delta chuckled, watching her take a quick peek, a blush evident as he pulled it off of her and pulled her into a hug, seating her on his lap._

" _Ruby…," Delta asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"_

 _Ruby buried her face in the crook of his neck, her tears of happiness soaking into his shirt as she replied, "…Yes…!"_

* * *

A gunshot filled the air.

Delta landed on the ground, grunting as Ruby used the Crescent Rose flung Adam around in a circle before sending him flying several meters away.

Hovering over him, Ruby turned back around to face Adam, Delta to groan in agony and disagreement.

"Ru…by…!"

"I won't let you die."

Delta attempted to rise to his feet, only to fail miserably as Ruby glanced back at him and said, "I'm not gonna let you die."

"Don't…do it…!"

Delta groaned again, agonizingly getting back to his feet as Adam spat out some blood. He then rubbed his neck, glancing at Blake, who was still frozen on the ground, then back to Ruby, who was holding Crescent Rose confidently. Ruby stood her ground as Adam began walking over to his sword, picking it up after having lost his grip on it from being swung around.

"Ruby…!"

Delta groaned, using his sword to support his weight. However, Ruby paid no attention to him, her eyes focused and attentive on Adam. Said man slashed his sword clean again, beginning to walk menacingly towards them as Ruby cocked Crescent Rose, a bullet casing popping out of the chamber and landing on the ground.


	26. Confidence to the Mentee

**Has it really been that long since my last update? Wow, I've been so out of it, I guess I've been neglecting y'all. But still, panic attacks still aren't healthy for me. But yeah, I'm actually contemplating making an Elsword fic for Eve's birthday, so any and all suggestions are welcome. Well, I think I've talked enough. ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Sierra vs. Neo**

* * *

Neo's pupils swapped as she continued blinking in confusion.

Sierra's irises glew an intense red as she kept her glare on the smaller girl.

Hotel kneeled back down to Yang, assisting her in sitting up as he mumbled, "…Easy, Sierra."

With a cloud of dust, both girls disappeared, quickly reappearing with their heels pressing against each other. Neo smirked cockily as Sierra scoffed. Neo blinked again, only to find that her opponent had vanished. She raised an eyebrow, then felt something hit her in the back of her head, sending her flying forward as Sierra flipped a knife into the air and snapped her fingers.

Regaining her footing, Neo glanced around, looking at each individual knife that surrounded her. Sierra snapped her fingers again, the knives closing in for the kill. However, Neo smirked again, deflecting all of the knives yet again, resting her umbrella on her shoulder.

Just then, she felt something grab her shoulder, causing her to widen her eyes in surprise as Sierra attempted to stab her neck.

Quickly reacting, Neo parried with the butt of her umbrella, knocking the knife out of Sierra's hand. Sierra quickly answered with a headlock, kicking a knife up as she froze time, grabbing it and going for the neck again. Only for Neo to disappear from her grasp.

Spinning out of control, Sierra landed on the flat side of several knives, quickly spinning her body back onto her feet as the tip of Neo's umbrella landed where she had been laying down. A confident smirk was still plastered on Neo's face, causing Sierra to sigh in annoyance as she dropped the knife in her hand. She then raised a foot and began tapping it to the cavern floor, echoes filling the air as Neo blinked in surprise.

"…I hate doing this…," Sierra mumbled, suddenly disappearing.

Neo blinked, then felt a pain in her gut, causing her to double over as Sierra grabbed the back of her shirt, kneeing her in the chest, causing her to snap back upright. Sierra then grabbed at the arm with the umbrella, pulling the smaller girl towards her as she went under it then rolled off of Neo's back, finishing it off with a spin kick. However, a shattering sound filled the air as Sierra landed on her feet, seeing a heel of sorts flying towards her face.

Neo's kick connected, causing Sierra to snap back upright as she then grabbed at the silverette, kicking her in the ribs, then kneed her chin. She then kicked Sierra in the gut, causing her to double over, following it up with an elbow to the back of the neck, then a clothesline, slamming Sierra into the ground.

A small glint shone off a pocket watch that slipped out of Sierra's pocket.

Neo, unaware, gave a victorious smile as she made to stab her umbrella into the silverette's neck, lightly tapping the pocket watch.

There was a brief lapse in space.

Sierra smirked.

Neo felt her body's momentum suddenly stop, causing her to widen her eyes in shock.

A surge of aura suddenly blanketed the area as a giant clock of sorts appeared beneath them.

Giant gears slowly stopped as Sierra flipped back onto her feet, reaching back to grasp the back of her neck.

"Ahh, that hurt," Sierra breathed out, looking back up at Neo, who was wide eyed in surprise.

"You see," Sierra began explaining, walking over to her pocket watch, "Semblance really is a useful thing."

Hotel blinked in surprise, then said, "That's what she can do with it!"

"Huh?"

Yang turned back to Hotel, confused as the man said, "My aunt would sometimes talk about why that watch was so special."

Lima flicked her ears, curious as well.

Sierra tossed the pocket watch into the air, catching it and putting it into her pocket as she turned around, a confident smirk on her face as she said, "Whatever happens on this clock is under my control, Ice Cream."

Neo grit her teeth, glaring at the silverette as she began walking towards her.

"I control your time. I decide whether you move or not," Sierra continued explaining, "But to keep you conscious, I can't do it without a little help, anyway."

Sierra pulled out a knife and held it to Neo's neck.

"Was a nice fight," Sierra stated, "Sleep well."

However, something suddenly caught her in the gut.

A slight "crack" filled the air as Sierra quickly recovered, flipping onto her feet as her blue orbs met scarlet orbs.

Neo let out a small grunt as she landed on the ground, the clock disappearing as she turned around with a smirk on her face again.

"Fall back, Neo."

Neo looked at the scarlet eyed, scarlet haired woman known as Scarlet Trueblood.

"Fall back," Scarlet ordered again.

Neo grit her teeth, then opened her umbrella.

Sierra's eyes widened in surprise, her eyes turning red as she immediately said, "Wait-!"

With a wave of her umbrella, both girls were gone.

Sierra clenched her fist, gritting her teeth as she let out a scream of frustration.

* * *

 **Ruby vs. Adam (sorta)**

* * *

Ruby left a cloud of rose petals in her wake yet again as Adam swung at thin air, turning around, only to receive a kick to the face.

Delta watched on in fear, worried about Ruby going up against Adam as Blake stated, "…We're gonna die…."

Turning to face the faunus, Delta took immediate notice of the girl's trembling as she said, "We're…going to die…!"

"Blake?"

Blake flinched as Ruby zoomed past the two. Adam's energy wave followed Ruby in vane as Delta stepped between it and Blake. With a shout, he cut it clean in half, half the wave colliding with the cavern wall and the other half getting deflected by Adam, who had stepped in front of it in an attempt to catch Ruby.

With a grunt, Delta stuck his sword in the ground again as he turned around to face the cat faunus, who was wide eyed with fear.

" _Oh no,"_ Delta thought to himself before dropping to a knee. Blake kept her golden orbs on him as he looked on at the battle, wincing every time Crescent Rose collided with Adam's sword. He then gave a pained look as Ruby clipped a bit of Adam's suit, then nailed him with the back of her scythe.

"What're you scared of?"

Blake's eyes trembled as Delta continued.

"It's okay to be scared…," he stated, "Heck, even I'm scared right now…."

"You…are…?"

Delta nodded, then turned back to Blake and asked, "What're you scared of?"

"You…," Blake stammered, "You…won't understand even if I told you…."

"You sure?"

Blake continued shivering as Delta asked, "Are you scared of him?"

Blake flinched again, looking back at Delta as he continued, "Scared of fighting him?"

"Wh…wha…? N-no! O-of course not…!"

"Blake…," Delta continued, getting back to his feet with a groan as Ruby landed painfully next to him. Blake flinched at the sight of her team leader scrapping along the ground as Ruby jumped back to her feet, frustration written on her face as Delta reached a hand out, catching her before she rushed into the heat of battle yet again. Amethyst orbs landed on Blake as Delta stated, "There comes a time where we need to cut down our demons."

"B…but…!"

"C'mon…," Delta stated, letting go of Ruby, "You can do it."

Just then, a slash towards Delta's temple caught his attention.

Instinctively, Delta pushed Ruby away, feeling a slight sting in his cheek as Adam went for another slash. A light trickle of blood seeped through the small cut as Delta immediately pulled his sword out of the ground it was trapped in, parrying the second slash as he kicked Adam in the chin, then reached for the nearest weapon he could grab.

Gambol Shroud.

Pulling the katana out, Delta let out a shout as he connected with Adam's ribs, sending the man flying a good distance away.

Blake blinked again in surprise as Delta dropped to a knee yet again, his aura dangerously low as he reached the katana towards Blake.

"You have to face him," Delta breathed out, a little winded, "You…have to beat him!"

"B…but…!"

"Not me…," he continued, "Not Ruby…not even Sierra…it has to be you!"

Blake swallowed her spit, reluctant. Delta kept an expectant eye on her, watching as she fought against her inner demons. Ruby quickly disappeared as she engaged Adam, keeping him busy as Blake slowly made her decision.

"I…," Blake stammered, "…I…I…!"

"You can…," Delta replied.

With a trembling hand, Blake slowly raised her hand. Delta smiled as Blake's fingers snaked around the handle of her longtime partner in arms. She closed her eyes as Delta let go of the katana, slowly opening them to see that she was holding her weapon.

"That's it," Delta stated as Blake looked at her sword, then her sheath.

"There comes a time," Delta continued, finally catching his breath, "When we surpass our mentors."

Blake looked up at where Ruby was still battling Adam.

"Protect your loved ones. Protect your friends. Cut down your demons."

Delta placed a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Blake Belladonna."

Blake's aura suddenly surged, catching Delta off guard as she slowly stood up. She then grabbed her sheath, transforming it into a second katana as she turned to face Delta, who was scrambling back to his feet. She smiled at him, causing him to blush as she said, "…Thanks."

With a cloud of dust, her katana connected with Adam's, sending Ruby flying backwards as a wave of aura surged from where their swords connected. Adam raised his head in surprise as Blake's eyes burned with newfound bravery and confidence. Delta stared on, awe inspired as Ruby jumped back onto her feet, prepared to jump back into the fray before Delta teleported to her, holding her by her locket as he shook his head.

"B-but-!"

"Don't, Ruby," Delta explained, "This is her fight. Let's go for Torchwick."

Ruby turned back to face Blake, who was exchanging blows with Adam, then back to Delta, who retraced his remaining sword, sheathing it.

"Del…," Ruby mumbled as he began walking down the next tunnel.

Suddenly, Blake's heels scrapped to a stop next to her, catching Ruby's attention.

"Go," the faunus stated, "I can handle him."

"But-!"

"Stop Torchwick, Ruby," Blake explained, looking at her from the corner of her eye, "Stop him for me."

Ruby glanced backwards to where Delta was quickly disappearing, then back to Blake, who disappeared again to lock swords.

"C'mon, Rubes!"

Ruby glanced back to the tunnel again, seeing that Delta had completely disappeared. Reluctantly, she turned to walk towards it, sneaking a glance back at Blake, who was fighting on equal ground with Adam. Gritting her teeth, she turned away from her teammate, beginning to walk away from her as she mumbled, "…Come out alive…."

With a cloud of roses, Ruby disappeared after Delta.

Blake glanced at the cloud of roses, sheathing her weapons immediately, catching Adam off guard. Golden eyes landed on a Grimm mask as Blake opted to sit down, glancing up at him. Adam kept his attention on her, suspicious to what she was planning before Blake said, "…Let's talk."

* * *

 **Ruby and Delta's "chase"**

* * *

Ruby skidded to a stop, spotting Delta standing before what appeared to be a Bullhead.

"Del?"

"Our job is…done…?"

Delta slowly turned to face Ruby, eyes wide with pleasant surprise. Ruby blinked, then looked at the VTOL, spotting Torchwick with his feet frozen, attempting to con his captor to let him go. However, the captor simply scoffed, knocking his hat off as she sheathed her barely changed Myrtinaster.

"…Well, Ruby, shall we-?"

"WEEEEEIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

The captor, Weiss, turned to face Ruby, getting tackled in the process as Delta walked up to Torchwick.

"Oh, c'mon Ice Queen," Torchwick tried asking, "At least unfreeze my feet?"

"Nice try," Delta replied, drawing a sword. Torchwick leaned back as far as he could as Delta held it to his neck. Ruby, meanwhile, smothered her face in Weiss's breasts, causing the white-haired CEO to blush and attempt to pry her long-time partner off of her. Delta kept an eye on the two, letting out a light laughter as the sound of an engine rumbling filled the tunnel, turning around to see Bullseye driving the rest of his team, as well as Yang, to where they were.

"Hey, Sierra-."

However, the silverette ignored him and stormed angrily at Torchwick, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and slugging him in the cheek. Delta flinched, then dropped his sword and grabbed her, holding her back. Struggling with her, she started cussing profanity at the villain, clearly upset at her draw with Neo. Hotel responded quickly as well, jumping out of the vehicle and taking Delta's place.

"Tell me where she is, you damn bastard! I'll fucking kill her! I'll fucking kill _them_! Tell me where they are, you son of a bitch!"

"Easy, Sierra," Hotel said, only receiving more of a struggle from the feisty leader.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Her opponent got away on a draw," Yang stated, wincing slightly at the slight jolt of pain from getting out of the jeep. Delta immediately noticed the makeshift cast on her right hand, as well as a very badly damaged Ember Celica. Lima walked up to him next, rubbing her cheek to his, then flicking her ears as Delta acknowledged her presence, turning back to Yang and saying, "You look like hammered shit."

"Don't remind me," Yang replied as Weiss, who had finally managed to pry Ruby off herself, walked up to Sierra, throwing a powder of dust in her face.

"What the fuck was that for!?"

"Calm down," Weiss stated, forming a magic circle and flicking it to Sierra.

The silverette kept her face of anger on, only to suddenly begin feeling woozy before her breathing slowed. Her eyes slowly shut as she grew limp, signifying that she had been knocked out by whatever Weiss had thrown in her face. Hotel sighed, quickly thanking Weiss before throwing Sierra back into the jeep.

Yang then took a look around, then asked, "By the way…where's Blake?"


	27. Mission Aftermath

**...It has really been a year since I started this series, has it? Wow...incredible. Anyway, I apologize if this chapter seems a bit...well...rushed. I kinda wanna get to the next story. So please, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Blake and Adam...**

* * *

The two faunus sat, facing each other for what seemed like hours just staring at each other. Blake's ears occasionally twitched as Adam let out a grunt of discomfort, shifting slightly. Their gazes didn't break as Blake finally asked, "…So what exactly are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm following through with the will of the White Fang," Adam answered, reaching for his sword.

"I understand that," Blake said back, "But why?"

"You already know why, Blake," Adam answered.

"I do, you're right," Blake replied, "And I know why I left, as well."

"Blake," Adam stated, "Normally I would kill someone who defected. However, you were a close comrade."

"…And?"

"Join us. Help our cause."

Blake blinked, keeping her eyes on Adam, who was still holding his sword, clearly weary of her due to the impromptu-ness of their current situation.

"…Adam…," Blake sighed, already knowing her answer. Adam grit his teeth, slowly beginning to stand. Blake closed her eyes, reaching for her own sword as she felt Adam's aura begin swirling around them. Opening her eyes, golden irises landed on a Grimm mask as Adam stated, "…I have no choice but to kill you then."

"And I have no choice but to fight back," Blake stated, standing up as she drew her Gambol Shroud once more.

*vvvrrrrrrrrrr*

Both faunus glanced back to the tunnel where Ruby and Delta had taken off.

*rrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

Adam clenched his sword, preparing to battle multiple foes.

*rrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRR*

Suddenly, Blake connected a blow to Adam's leg, throwing him off balance enough where she followed up with a slash to his temple, then followed up with her signature area cut she would commonly use when her weapon was still a sickle.

"Blake!"

Ruby and Weiss immediately appeared next to their teammate as Adam was tossed away and rolled across the ground, immediately regaining his balance as Team SHLD followed up. Delta drew his swords, ready for another round against the much more skilled swordsman. Sierra flipped out two knives, both in each hand, Hotel with his spear in hand, and Lima with her axe still in rifle mode, causing Adam to rethink his strategy.

"…Very well," Adam stated, grunting as he stood back up. Blake and Delta kept their eyes sharp as Adam assumingly glared at them. He then turned around and stated, "I'll retreat…for now."

Adam then glanced back at Lima, whose ears were perked in aggression.

"But," he continued, "I WILL take what I need if I have to."

With that, he ran off into the darkness.

* * *

 **Later that day... (Delta POV)**

* * *

"Very well," General Ironwood said to Sierra, who had just given him an entire briefing of the situation.

I leaned back, groaning at the sore muscles that I had neglected due to the adrenaline and aura surging through my system just barely an hour ago. I then felt Ruby wrap her arms around my chest, causing me to turn back and look at her. The clump of red hair that was resting on my shoulder let out a sigh as she held her face to my back, causing me to raise my hand and gently grasp hers, receiving pressure in return.

"So Weiss," I heard Yang ask nearby, "What're you doing here for?"

I then glanced at Weiss, who was sitting on a rock as she replied, "I managed to talk Sword into letting me go."

"Oh? How'd you do that?"

"Well, I just had to finish all my paperwork before I had the chance to leave."

"And how did that go?"

The two began idle chat, causing me to turn back to Ruby and ask, "…Are you gonna join them?"

"In a bit," Ruby replied, nuzzling her face comfortably. There was a slight tickle, causing me to sigh in slight irritation as I rearranged our positions. Ruby let out a sound of enjoyment as I hugged her, stroking her beautiful dark red hair as I said, "…You had me worried."

"Hehe," Ruby giggled, "So I guess this means I'm a better fighter than you?"

It then occurred to me that she barely, if anything, took any blows from Adam.

"…Damn, you're right," I replied.

With that, Ruby pulled away from me and smiled, quickly taking off to join the rest of her team.

"…Delta…?"

I then looked at Lima, who was clutching her axe closely.

"What's up?"

"…Faunus…?"

 _Who? Adam?_

"Adam I assume?"

Lima nodded.

"Yeah," I replied, quickly recognizing the slight worry in her face, causing me to quickly apologize.

Lima simply shook her head and replied, "…Don't apologize…it's alright."

 _O…kay…?_

"By the way…."

I then looked up at Hotel.

"You lost two swords, right?"

… _Fuck._

"Fuck, you're right," I replied, scratching the back of my head.

 _There goes another month's worth of savings…._

* * *

 **Even later that day... (3rd POV)**

* * *

"Ow…," Yang groaned as the doctor finished wrapping a cast around her hand.

The blonde lifted her arm, inspecting the cast curiously as the doctor then stated, "Now then, if you huntsmen and huntresses would stop depleting our resources, that'd be great. Unfortunately, all of you are one of the main reasons why we still have our profession, so forget I said that."

"Don't worry, hotshot," Yang replied, smirking, "I doubt this'll be the last you'll see me."

The doctor scoffed, holding up his clipboard. Yang raised an eyebrow, curious as to what he was reading as a knock on the door caught their attention. The doctor turned around and walked towards the door, opening it as Hotel's voice asked, "Oh…am I interrupting something?"

"Oh no, not at all," the doctor replied, "But may I ask who you are?"

"Oh, right," Hotel replied, "Hotel Lancer. I'm here to visit Yang Xiao Long."

"…."

The doctor gave Hotel a look of slight annoyance. Hotel was about to ask what was wrong before the doctor walked over to the scroll he had set on a nearby side table. Both Yang and Hotel watched as he walked over to Yang and handed her a bottle of pills. The doctor then sighed and began making his way towards the door, stating, "I'll have your x-rays done tomorrow. Those are your painkillers."

Hotel chuckled as he heard the doctor mumble, "Young hunters…yeesh…," then walked over to Yang, pulling a nearby chair and sitting on it.

"How're you holding up?"

"Mm…fine," Yang replied, inspecting the cast yet again. Hotel blinked, then grasped her cast, catching her attention as he said, "…You really did yourself good this time."

"Damn right," Yang replied, "And it hurt like hell."

"You did take some painkillers, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, "But it sucks 'cuz they aren't doing surgery right away."

"Wow, that _does_ suck," Hotel said, bringing the cast up to his lips, kissing it. Yang blinked at him, slightly surprised by his romantic side as he looked her straight in the eyes. Yang blinked again as Hotel said, "…I'm glad you're still alive."

Yang smiled at the remark.

Leaning towards him, she lightly brushed her lips to his, catching him by surprise as he replied, "Thanks, love."

There was then an awkward silence between the two.

Hotel scratched the back of his head.

Yang glanced away, realizing that she had kept her stare on him.

"U-Umm…," Yang stammered, "Do you know where my other bracelet is?"

* * *

 **To Ruby and Delta... (Delta POV)**

* * *

"Soooooooo…."

"Hmm?"

"You can fix it, right?"

Ruby inspected the broken half of Ember Celica, a finger on her chin as I stared on curiously. Said fiancé picked it up and put it down several times, mumbling gibberish as she walked over to a toolbox full of gadgets. I blinked in confusion as she pulled out one part in particular, zipping right back over to where she had set the broken half of the gauntlet.

We both remained silent.

I felt a sense of awkwardness creeping up as Ruby let out a sigh, turning around as she said, "…sorry, but could you leave?"

"H-huh?"

"I can't concentrate," Ruby explained, "So…please?"

"Oh, sure," I replied, moving to leave her work room. However, as I turned, I was stopped as Ruby turned me around, brushing her lips against mine as she said, "…I'll see you later, okay?"

I chuckled, kissing her back as I replied, "Alright."

With that, I left.

Immediately wondering what the hell I was gonna do for the rest of the day.

… _Fuuuuuck…._

Furrowing my brow, I began wandering around Vale.

… _I wonder what Echo's doing…._

* * *

 **Sierra at Echo's place...**

* * *

"FUCK!"

Sierra threw another pillow at a wall, her breathing ragged from anger.

Echo sighed, attempting to approach her, only to get smacked in the face with another pillow.

"…Si…."

"GRAAAAH!"

Sierra threw another pillow at another wall, this time kicking it as well as Echo sighed again, this time grabbing her arm.

"Sierra!"

"WHAT!?"

Echo immediately grabbed her head, forcing her to look him in the eyes as he said, "Calm down."

Sierra's glare remained, intense, as she slowly comprehended her fiancé's words. Slowly, but surely, she began to relax, her gaze calming down to a somewhat exhausted state of mind. Her body began to grow limp as Echo said, "There you go."

"Hah…," Sierra sighed, falling backwards onto the floor as Echo let her go. With a grunt, she landed on her rump as Echo leaned down, sitting in front of her. Sierra sighed again, then looked up at Echo as he asked, "Now what's wrong, Si?"

"Hmm…," Sierra hummed, pulling out the pocket watch Marone had given her. Echo looked at it, noticing the cracked glass and broken hands. The frame was also slightly, but noticeably bent.

Holding back from cussing, he gave an "oh" of surprise. Sierra nodded, setting the watch on the nearby side table as Echo pulled her back into a backwards embrace, catching her by surprise. Sierra gave a slight flinch, but relaxed just as quickly as Echo stated, "I'll ask Delta if Ruby can fix it for you."

"I imagine she's working on Ember Celica right now," Sierra replied, lifting her hands to grasp Echo's arms. She couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of him holding her. She especially loved how gentle Echo was despite having arms that were just as toned as Hotels at this point. A small smile cracked her lips as she began to bathe in his embrace. Only for her to feel something tickle her neck.

Echo heard a gasp, as well as Sierra's body stiffening up as he kissed her neck. His lips curled into a smile as Sierra abruptly pulled away from him, causing him to groan and look at her, only to be greeted by an unimpressed look. Echo blinked in confusion, only to be answered with a sigh as Sierra asked, "…Do you seriously only want sex or something?"

Echo blinked, slowly comprehending the question as Sierra stood up, reaching for the pocket watch as he answered, "Wh-wha—no! Of course not!"

"Really now?"

Sierra turned back to him and raised her left hand, lightly biting her index finger, pulling her right hand with the pocket watch behind her back. Echo immediately flinched, a visible blush appearing on his face as Sierra grinned, bringing her hand down as she walked towards him, swaying her hips. She watched as Echo swallowed his spit, then stiffen up as she sat on his lap, feeling something begin to rise from his crotch.

"Hehe," Sierra giggled, "You naughty, naughty boy."

"S…Si…," Echo breathed out before she kissed him, his eyes closing as he reached around her back.

Only for a knock on the door to ruin the mood.

Sierra pulled away, glaring at the door as Echo sighed. Sierra rolled off of him, allowing him to walk over and open it.

"Hello, Echo."

Echo's eyes shot open.

Partially in fear.

The rest in surprise.

Sierra's eyes widened.

A plaxen blonde stood before Echo as he breathed out, "H…Herald…."

Herald smiled and asked, "Now…where can I find your younger cousin?"


	28. Unnecessary Roughness

**Hello again, everybody! Life IRL is being a pain in the ass atm so I apologize if I'm not updating as fast as y'all would like me to. So anyway, here's the next chapter, and do enjoy reading. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Delta wandering around Vale... (1st POV)**

* * *

I continued walking through Vale, contemplating my next course of action. I had eventually concluded that, with as pissed off Sierra was after our last mission, she was probably trying to cool her head with Echo, so I threw that idea out. Next choice was probably Hotel, but lord knows his schedule with Yang constantly moving to and fro. Finally Lima who was…well…Lima.

… _I seriously feel like there's a loop here now…._

"Well what do you know, good ol' lover boy."

I immediately recognized the voice.

"Qrow? Didn't know you were back so soon."

Ruby's uncle sighed and replied, "Yeah, well I'm not gonna be here for much longer if you give me that attitude. Now where's Ruby?"

"Working on Ember Celica," I replied, "Yang's…well…now that I think about it, probably at the hospital."

"Oh yeah? What'd she do this time?"

"Punched solid rock until her hand broke."

Qrow whistled, then said, "Sounds like her...now, I also hear your team did something big."

"I guess you can say that," I replied, beginning to walk down the sidewalk with the man as I continued, "I'm not sure if throwing Torchwick in jail again is gonna do anything, though."

"Ah," Qrow stated, "At least you're smart."

"Comes from Sierra, really," I replied, "But I use my head too sometimes."

"I also hear you got beat pretty bad as well."

"Yeah. Well, no," I corrected, "I wasn't just beat; I was nearly slaughtered!"

"And somehow Ruby didn't take a single scratch?"

 _Thinking about it again…_.

"…Fuck my life, thanks for reminding me," I stated, already knowing where the older man was heading.

"Oh," Qrow stated, smirking, "So Ruby's actually a better hunter than _you_ are."

"God fucking dammit," I replied, suddenly noticing that we were just outside my dad's tavern. I blinked, stopping as Qrow stopped with me. I then looked at him, seeing him wave me in with him as he said, "C'mon; I'll get ya a drink."

* * *

I downed another drink, not yet feeling anything kick into my system as Qrow asked, "So how's life away from Beacon treating ya?"

"A little overwhelming at first," I admitted, "But I think it was mostly nervousness knowing we were on our own out there."

"You haven't gone solo yet?"

"Oh, I have," I replied, "But only once."

Qrow downed another shot of whatever he had ordered as my dad interjected and said, "He was still settling down when he went on the one solo mission."

"Oh," Qrow exclaimed in mild surprise, "So you needed the money that badly?"

"I was also planning on proposing to Ruby at the time, as well," I stated, getting a nod of understanding from the older huntsman. I then took another sip of my drink, which I had finally figured was some soda with a little beer mixed in, as my dad slid the bill to Qrow, who took another shot. I then glanced around, watching as several families talked amongst each other. There were also children at another end of the tavern, whom I assumed my mom was in charge of taking care of while the adults had a merry time.

"Thinking of having kids soon?"

I turned back to Qrow, who was looking at me expectantly.

"Not yet," I replied, turning back to face the counter, "But eventually."

There was a momentary silence between us. I closed my eyes, contemplating my next course of action as Qrow finally asked, "By the way, how's your dueling record?"

"Huh?"

I turned to him, confused as he asked, "How're you doing against other swordsman or hunters? I know Ruby mentioned that you're keeping track of all the swordsmen you fight."

"Oh," I replied, dumbfounded, "I'm doing alright. I recently beat Weiss's sister."

"Qrow blinked, then nearly choked, bursting into laugher as he continued, "That's the furthest you've gone? _That_ Ice Queen?"

He continued laughing wholeheartedly. I frowned, immediately drawing a sword, only to meet metal to metal as he smirked. Our aura suddenly surged within the tavern, receiving gasps and screams of surprise.

"Don't do it, kid," Qrow stated. I didn't falter as the kids all ran to their families. I could feel all eyes on me as my dad stated, "Del. Calm down."

I glanced at him, seeing his stern eyes on me. I then turned back to Qrow, who was still smirking at me. I didn't let my aura up as my second sword's handle unfolded, listening to Qrow ask, "You seriously want to do this in here?"

"…Point taken," I replied, relaxing a bit, "Sorry about that."

"Hey, just take it easy, kid," Qrow stated, relaxing himself as he put a hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at the senior huntsman as he put his own weapon away. He then said, "You should go relax or something."

I sighed, then mumbled, "How can I when my usual means of relaxing is working?"

"What?"

"Nothing," I replied, sheathing my own sword. I then quickly apologized to the tavern as my dad sighed, then said, "Son, you should go home."

"I probably should," I replied, moving to stand up as I then said, "Thanks for the drink, Qrow."

"No problem, kid," he replied as I made my way out of the tavern.

Only to move my head to the right as a stray shot glass flew past.

Sighing, I drew my sword again, slashing away at another as Qrow walked out after me.

"Then again," he stated, "I'm eager to get a go at you."

 _Oh boy, this should be fun._

* * *

 **? (3rd POV)**

* * *

"So are you gonna stop walking in circles?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, the way you're going, we're about to walk past that tavern again."

Two characters, both girls, continued walking around Vale, determined to locate their next target.

"See? Right back to the tav-."

An energy slash zipped past one of the characters, catching them off guard.

Delta skidded to a stop, jumping out of the way of another as Qrow yelled, "What's wrong!? You're never gonna get me like that!"

Grimacing, Delta jumped from his current position, locking swords with Qrow as the man smirked at him.

"You're gonna learn real quick," Qrow stated, "That there's a real big difference between our skill levels."

"I can," Delta groaned, "Already tell…!"

With a "CLANG," both men jumped away from each other, quickly charging each other again.

The two girls watched on in surprise as one of them said, "Umm…aren't those two…?"

"I'm pretty sure that one with the bigger sword's name is Qrow," the other girl stated, "Not sure about the other one though…."

With that said, the two girls continued on their way.

* * *

 **Later at Delta's apartment...**

* * *

"Ugh…ow…."

Delta sighed, feeling his arms stinging as Ruby continued laughing on the ground uncontrollably, saying out loud, "I can't believe you actually fought my uncle!"

Frowning, Delta looked at Ruby, who had finally sat up to wipe away a tear. Ruby then looked at him, holding back a second stream of laughter as Delta sighed and stood up, making towards the kitchen. Ruby's laughter immediately disappeared as she stood up to follow him, chasing him as he sat down at the table and put a finger on his forehead.

"Del?"

"What…?"

Ruby flinched slightly, surprised by his slightly annoyed tone as she took the seat next to him. Delta shot a brief glance at her, sighing as he looked away just as quickly. Ruby blinked, furrowing her brow in concern as she scooted next to him and asked, "What's wrong, Del?"

"Nothing…," Delta replied, "Just…crap..."

Ruby, however, didn't buy it.

"Is it because you lost to my uncle?"

Delta glanced at her.

"Or…losing to…that guy…?"

Delta sighed again and stood up, walking back towards the living room. Ruby followed again, worried about his mental state. Delta flopped onto the couch, crossing his arms as Ruby followed suit, bringing herself close to him.

"Del, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Delta replied, only to be met with Ruby hopping onto his lap and bringing her arms around his neck. Ruby closed her eyes, focusing on his well-being, going through the latest events that probably had an effect on his mental health. She immediately figured that it was multiple losses by two strong swordsmen, as well as the fact that she was technically the "better" hunter than him.

"What's wrong, honey?"

Delta blinked, slowly comprehending the situation before sighing and wrapping his arms around her. Ruby opened her eyes, pulling away slightly to put her forehead to his, silver orbs diving into deep amethyst. Delta half-lidded his eyes, staring back as the sun began to set outside the window, their shadows mixed with each other. Ruby remained still, her eyes almost glowing a light orange as Delta sighed again, pulling her tighter against himself.

"It's…just…," he stated, "I…I'm lame…aren't I…?"

Ruby blinked, comprehending that he was a little depressed.

"Of course not," she stated, smiling to herself, her chest fluttering as she thought about how cute he was acting.

"But…."

"Del," she continued, "You aren't lame. You're a great huntsman."

"But…I…."

"Just because you lost doesn't mean anything," she stated, "We all go through growth periods."

"But…."

"Don't bring yourself down," Ruby continued, "You're you. And that's the Delta that I love and want to marry."

Delta blinked, seeing her smiling at down at him.

"Rubes…."

"I love you, Del," she stated, "I don't care if you win or lose. As long as we both make it out alive, that's all that matters-."

Delta immediately cut her off by tilting his head, landing a chaste kiss on her. Ruby blinked, comprehending his lips on hers, slowly closing her eyes as he pulled away briefly, only to be drawn back to one another. Then engaged couple's stomachs fluttered with butterflies as they pulled away from each other, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

"…Thanks, Ruby."

"Hehe," Ruby giggled, "You're welcome, Del."

* * *

 **?**

* * *

The two girls continued walking around Vale.

"See? I told you we're lost."

"Shut it! I know where we're going!"

They continued walking around Vale, still arguing whether they were lost or not.

"Oh forget it. I'm gonna ask where the docks are."

"But what if you-!?"

"I'm not gonna compromise our mission, idiot," the other replied, "I'm just gonna ask."

The girl looked around, spotting a boy walking around nearby.

"Excuse me, sir."

The boy turned to face them.

"Can you help me? I'm looking for the docks and my colleague here got us lost."

"Oh? Are you two new to Vale?"

Both nodded.

"Well, I'm fairly new myself, but the docks are in that direction as far as I know," the boy pointed. The girl smiled, then bowed in appreciation as she ran back over to her friend. The boy, however, with wolf ears hidden under a hat, felt his ears perk slightly as he overheard them say, "See? Mission uncompromised."

"Excuse me."

Suddenly, a needle landed in front of them, catching their attention.

"It must be me," he stated, pulling out more needles, "But I have a feeling you two aren't here as tourists.


	29. Mounting Frustrations

**Hello again, everybody! So sorry I haven't updated in...gee, how long _has_ it been? Anyway, I was really torn as to how I was gonna write this arc in particular, as well as busy irl speaking as a month's worth of snow came in and I had to shovel it all up. Yeesh. Anyway, this should be an...well...interesting arc speaking as I'm honestly still running it through my head as to how it's gonna happen. So please, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

I watched Zwei chase his tail, causing me to chuckle as the dog quickly dropped in sheer exhaustion. Ruby giggled next to me, snuggling closer to me as the dog looked at us and barked, opting to chase his tail again. I then looked at Ruby, who had an eyebrow raised with a smirk, suggesting that she had no clue what he was doing.

"Is he always like this?"

"Always."

Because he had to leave Vale for a mission, Taiyang had entrusted Zwei, and Ruby for that matter, to me.

Ruby giggled and stood up, stopping Zwei to play with him.

I couldn't help but smile, imagining Zwei as a human child, but then was interrupted from my daydreaming by my scroll vibrating in my pocket.

"What the…?"

Pulling the item out of his pocket, he opened it, getting a wind of surprise that it was Lima, answering without a second thought.

"What's up, partner?"

"D…Del…ta…," Lima's voice cracked.

 _Oh no._

I looked at Ruby, shooting her a serious look, causing her to stop her activities as Lima's voice cracked, saying, "W…Wolx…he…he…!"

"Where are you?"

"D…Docks…!"

"I'm on my way!"

* * *

I turned one last corner, spotting my partner. Without skipping a beat, I quickly sprinted over to her, skidding to a stop and quickly assessing the situation. Lima's cries were audible as she caressed her brother, trying to find some form of comfort as she continued whimpering.

"Lima..."

Lima looked up, her eyes red from crying as she held her younger brother in her arms, bloodied and shivering in pain. The sounds of sirens filled the air as I immediately opened my scroll and called Sierra. Only to end up on dial tone.

 _God dammit! Answer!_

I tried again, only for the same result.

 _Dammit, Sierra!_

Once more, same thing.

 _GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!_

I angrily threw the offending item onto the ground as Lima continued crying, holding her brother close. Quickly, I ran down to her, looking at Wolx's condition as the sound of skidding feet sounded behind me. I immediately knew it was Ruby, who ran over immediately and asked, "What happened!?"

"Lima," I asked, "Where?"

Slowly, she looked up at me, her ears lazily folded down as in fright as she shakily pointed up at the direction of the warehouses.

"On it," I breathed out, making to leave, only to remember Sierra.

"Ruby," I stated sternly, receiving a flinch from her as I said, "When Sierra's finished doing whatever the fuck she's doing, tell her I'm not doing shit for her for the next month."

I then ran towards the warehouses, anger filling my system.

* * *

 **Over to an increasingly annoyed Sierra...**

* * *

Sierra angrily tapped her finger to her arm, listening to Echo continuing his conversation with Herald. She could hear her scroll vibrating, which made her even more irritated due to the fact that she had given it to Echo, who was simply ignoring the call that came and went several times. If there was ever a time when she needed to answer a call, now was the time.

"Echo…," she said through gritted teeth, clearly irritated.

"I'm sorry, Herald," Echo said, ignoring his fiancé, "But Delta's engaged now."

"Even so, I still want to say hi to him," Herald continued arguing.

"Echo…," Sierra said again, the vibrating finally stopping. She could slowly feel her self-control slipping as the two continued going back and forth. Her scroll began vibrating again, still being ignored by Echo as he tried explaining the situation once more.

"Echo," Sierra sighed, closing her eyes in frustration as he went through the engagement, his and hers, Delta's and Ruby's, and finally the current situation with frustrations from Sierra's last mission. Before he knew it, Sierra had roughly shoved him and pulled the scroll from his pocket. Opening it, she saw it was Delta's number, opting to redial without a thought.

"What's up?"

"About time!"

Sierra flinched at the tone of Ruby's voice.

"Ruby? What's wrong?"

"Get to the docks! Now!"

Immediately, Sierra grabbed a knife strap and ran out the door.

Echo, dumbfounded, quickly apologized to Herald and grabbed her wrist, following his fiancé.

* * *

 **Back to Delta... (1st POV)**

* * *

I darted from crate to crate, having spotted two soldiers that were dressed like members of the White Fang.

 _Knew it was too good to be true…should've known they'd keep up activities even after what happened…._

I quickly darted to another crate, getting a glace from one of the guards, who let out a grunt of surprise.

"What's wrong?"

"…huh…thought I saw something."

 _Hehe. That's what I thought._

I grinned to myself, but quickly wiped it off as the two walked past me, allowing me to dart off towards another direction. I then spotted another two White Fang guards, causing me to duck beneath some more crates as they began having idle chit chat. It was then it occurred to me that, even if they were enemies, they still had lives to live outside of criminal activities.

"I heard you just had a child?"

"Yes! She was born just a few days ago, actually."

"Nice! What's her name?"

"Her name is…."

As the two continued talking, I quickly found myself thinking about mine and Ruby's future. I found myself relaxing my guard, causing me to sigh as I rested against the crate I was hiding behind. I flopped to a seated position as I looked at the wall in front of me, causing me to wonder if we made it through, how soon would we want kids?

"Hey!"

I flinched.

"You there!"

I looked over the crates, mentally sighing in relief that they weren't after me. However, I slapped myself mentally as I immediately recognized the auburn hair and glasses that belonged to one girl in particular. One that I had met while I was at Beacon.

"Freeze!"

 _God fucking dammit…as if my issues weren't tough enough already…._

I slowly snuck around the crates, watching as the two began walking up to the spear user that was frozen in place. Keeping an eye on them, I glanced around, making sure they didn't have any backup before I pulled a sword out. The two White Fang members walked up to the girl, holding their guns to her as she dropped her spear and raised her hands, eyes wide with fear as they pulled out a walkie-talkie of sorts and said, "We have an intruder. I repeat: we have an intruder."

"I'm sorry, can you repeat?"

 _Shit shit shit shit shit shit!_

I was suddenly stuck with what I could do. Should I save her? Or should I grab her later and risk having her immediately relocated elsewhere?

"We have an intruder," the White Fang member stated albeit slightly annoyed.

"There's too much interference; can you repeat?"

… _Fuck it._

"Grr," the lackey stated again, "I said we have an intru-!"

I slid the sword along the ground, catching their attention as I immediately teleported, hitting one man with the butt of the handle, then the other with the side of the blade to the temple, effectively knocking him out cold as I turned my attention back to the other man, hitting him on the back of the neck.

Grimacing, I immediately dragged the two bodies behind the crates, then turned back to the girl, sheathing my sword as I asked, "…and what the hell are you doing here for?"

"H-huh?"

"Aubrey," I stated, "I'm not here to tie your shoes every time you trip. Now what the hell are you doing here for, and where the fuck is your team?"

Suddenly, sirens went off.

"Oh, just my fucking luck," I sighed, grabbing her by the arm and saying, "Either leave as fast as you can, or stay on my ass. Got it?"

She nodded furiously.

"Good," I replied, taking off deeper into the warehouse.

* * *

 **Back to Sierra...**

* * *

Sierra dragged her hand along the ground, skidding to a stop as Ruby continued trying to comfort Lima, who was miserably watching her brother being hauled into an ambulance.

"What the hell happened!?"

Lima looked at Sierra, albeit teary eyed, immediately jumping onto her team leader, who let out a grunt of surprise from getting tackled.

"W…Wolx…Wolx is…!"

"U-Umm…," Sierra stammered, stroking Lima's hair as she said, "I-it'll be fine! The paramedics! They'll take care of him!"

Echo caught up, catching his breath as Sierra turned around to glare at him. Echo blinked in surprise as Sierra nudged at Lima, who let go and walked back over to Ruby, as she stood up and walked over to him. Echo looked around at the paramedics and police that were gathered around as Sierra asked, "See what you did?"

"Wh-wha…?"

*SMACK*

Echo blinked, then felt his cheek stinging from Sierra slapping him.

"That's why I keep my scroll on me, faggot!"

Ruby blinked as Sierra continued yelling at Echo, feeling a slight breeze go through. She sighed, but then started paying attention to the breeze. Causing her to shiver. In no way shape or form was there a breeze just moments earlier less she had adrenaline surging though her system, which she clearly didn't. Her instincts screamed at her to look behind Echo.

" _Wh…wha…?"_

Ruby's heart began pounding. She found herself scared of looking beyond the arguing couple. Lima wasn't helping as she continued weeping.

" _C'mon! Just do it!"_

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to look up, her gaze meeting that of a plaxen blonde.

"H…He…rald…?"

"Hello, Ruby."


	30. Gaining Leverage

**Hello, everybody! How's the season 3 working out for y'all? Hope it's going well, because I can only see bad things happening from this point forward. Anyway, this arc honestly has taken all motivation away from me and the only thing pushing me on is seeing a wedding between you know who. Well, enjoy while it lasts!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

"By the way…."

"H-huh?"

"Where the hell is the rest of your team…?"

"U-Umm…I…lost track of Eric."

"…Hmm…."

"And Terry's distracting them."

 _Oh, for the love of…._

"Tch," I scoffed, turning back to her and bringing a finger to my lips. Aubrey nodded, albeit nervously, as I peeked around the corner of the warehouse we were hiding behind. I spotted three members of the White Fang talking to each other, walking towards us. I silently sighed as I pulled myself back into our hiding spot. My two swords' handles clicked into place as Aubrey flinched, holding her sea nervously as she asked, "U-umm…are we…umm…."

"Stop being so nervous," I breathed out, a little annoyed as I continued, "You guys should've known what you were getting into…."

I held myself back, waiting for the perfect moment before I struck.

Only…I didn't get my chance.

"I got one!"

 _Fucking a…._

I growled to myself as the sound of Eric struggling filled the air. The White Fang squad laughed at his futility as I peeked around the corner again, seeing Eric struggling against a larger White Fang member. The three other members began laughing as well as Eric glared at them, then said, "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!"

"Aubrey…."

I glanced back at the girl, pulling a sword out, causing her to flinch as I said, "I know you have a faint heart."

"M…Mis…ter…Del…ta…?"

"Please look away."

With a grunt, I jumped out of hiding, throwing a sword at the group, managing to tag one of them in the back. My sword bounced off his aura, albeit painfully, as I immediately synchronized with it, teleporting to it as I proceeded to kick one of the enemies. The man let out a pained grunt as I spun off of Eric, slashing downward on the next, then kicked Eric's legs out, parrying a gunshot before firing my undrawn sword at the next. My sword bounced off of him, albeit painfully again as I teleported to it immediately, slashing downwards. I briefly heard Eric call my name over the sound of the man slamming against the ground as found myself rolling off of Eric's back, slashing at the next man, slamming him onto the ground.

My ragged breathing filled the air as I slowly raised my sword off the unconscious body, turning to look at the work of art that I had done in just a matter of seconds. Four bodies lay motionless, letting out occasional grunts as I heard the sound of Aubrey's feet shuffling nearby, causing me to look up at her. Said student was shivering fearfully and nervously as Eric immediately turned his attention to her, then back to me. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off as I said, "If you're gonna say something stupid, at least back up the talk."

"But-!"

"Shut it," I stated, annoyed as I sheathed my swords and continued, "Thanks to you guys, the White Fang practically already knows we're here."

Eric opened his mouth again, only to shut it wisely.

"There you go," I stated, "Now you're getting the hang of it."

Suddenly, lights popped on, causing me to jump as men suddenly surrounded us.

"God fucking dammit," I cussed, shooting a glare at a girl who was laughing hysterically.

"Oooooh," she stated, "You're that guy who was fighting Qrow earlier!"

"…What?"

I slowly reached for my swords again as she hopped off the spotlight stand and stated, "You were so immersed in your fight with Qrow that you didn't notice us? Wow, Vale's huntsmen are so dull these days!"

… _She's about to really piss me off._

"Who're you!?"

Eric drew his sword and swung it defiantly as the girl simply put on a smug smirk, then raised a finger. The men then lowered their guns as she began walking towards us. I felt my hand twitch slightly, half-tempted to grab my swords as she began circling us, her green irises looking us up and down. Following her with my own, I immediately began thinking of ways to get the other two out of the situation. They were still several years removed from doing something like this, yet.

"Let me guess," the girl stated, "You're an actual huntsman-," she pointed at me, "—and those two are students."

"Hmm," I replied, drawing a sword, "You're perceptive, that's for sure."

"Lucky guess," she stated, giggling as I glanced around at the squad surrounding us.

"…Aubrey," I said, "If there's ever a time for you to not be scared, now's the time."

"B-but…," she stammered, "Wh-what if I-!?"

"You've got aura, right? So do they," I replied, keeping my eyes on the girl who I assumed was in charge of them. I could sense Aubrey still shivering nervously behind me as Eric began mumbling words of encouragement to her. The girl smirked as she put her hands in her pocket and said, "I won't hurt you…but only if you surrender."

"Hehe, sounds tempting" I smirked, "But you know I'm smarter than that."

"Okay," she sighed, disappointment in her voice, "Suit yourself."

The girl then pulled out what appeared to be a red dust crystal. I blinked in surprise as she then threw it towards us, pulling out a pocket knife of sorts. I widened my eyes in surprise as the knife turned into a handgun. The girl smirked again as she aimed for the crystal.

"GET DOWN!"

A gunshot filled the air, followed by an explosion.

I dropped Eric and Aubrey on the ground, receiving grunts from both as I pulled my sword out of the ground.

"Oooooooh," the girl exclaimed, clapping against her handgun, "You react really well!"

"I get that a lot," I replied.

"I didn't think your semblance would let you teleport," she stated, "I'm impressed you managed to throw your sword away in the time you had between the shot and the explosion."

 _If that's the case, I shouldn't go all-out on her._

I drew my second available sword, then glanced back at the two students and said, "You two get out of here."

"No way," Eric stated, walking up beside me, his own swords in hand. I was about to say something to them again, only to notice Aubrey standing next to me, albeit nervously. Yet she was a bit more…confident.

"I-I'll help, too!"

"You two…," I sighed, only to see the squad of White Fang members surrounding us again.

"…Ahh…I give up…," I sighed, finally sheathing my swords as I then stated, "I'll leave this to you guys."

One of the men finally charged.

I simply sidestepped and pushed him towards Eric, who gave a yelp of surprise, only to whack the man in the face. I held back my laughter as he began panicking. Aubrey, however, remained more composed as she went through her motions. I was somewhat impressed at how much she had improved since the last time I had seen her.

 _That's it, Aubrey. Nice and steady._

"Now then," I said, turning towards the girl. I took note of the one bracer on her right arm, immediately thinking about Yang. However, unlike Yang, this girl had dirty blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Blue eyes that almost reminded me of….

Suddenly, I found myself blocking a knife strike.

Sparks left my sword as I went for a slash at her back, only to feel a sting on my hand as she elbowed it. Using the momentum, I swung my parrying sword at her body, feeling something connect, only to feel a sting on my right shoulder as she went flying backwards. I cringed slightly, wincing at the lingering sting now going down my arm as he girl stated, "Not bad. That actually hurt!"

"I could say the same," I replied, resetting my stance as the girl tossed her knife into the air. I watched as she caught it, then tossed it in the air again several more times as we stared each other down. I could feel my aura slightly surging around me as the two students behind me caught up and said, "We're here to help!"

"You two stay back," I stated immediately, raising a sword at the girl. The girl raised an eyebrow in curiosity as both kids turned to face me. I shot them both a brief glance, then turned my attention back to the girl and said, "…You'll get yourselves killed if you jumped in right now."

"Don't bet on it!"

Suddenly, a tomahawk flew past my head, catching me by surprise. The girl simply leaned to the side, her hair blowing back with the air current as the sound of running feet filled the air. A scraping quickly followed as I glanced around, seeing all of Aubrey's team lined up next to me.

"Teacher," Ambrose stated, "We're here!"

"Good god, you kids…," I breathed out, only to take notice of a distortion in space. I blinked, suddenly realizing the area had turned gray, and was thick with aura. I blinked, then turned around to see Sierra casually walking up to me. She shot me an apologetic look as I stated, "Took you long enough…."

"Sorry about that," she replied, "Take it to Echo."

"Noted," I replied, turning back to the girl that was our enemy. Sierra snapped her fingers, then quickly followed up with a knife throw, running behind it. The girl seemingly flinched in surprise before deflecting the knife, only to take a punch to the gut, followed by repeated knees as Sierra then hooked her arm around the girl's shoulder, picking her up and slamming her to the ground.

The young team around me seemingly gawked in surprise as I walked up to her and said, "God damn, calm down."

"Yeah! That hurt!"

We both flinched, then turned back to the team, now surrounded by White Fang members as the sound of clapping filled the air.

"Just hearing the sound of that impact hurt," another girl stated, walking from behind the squad. I then heard Sierra let out a scream, causing me to turn to see her arm behind her back. The girl she had slammed from before grinned, holding her pistol to Sierra's head. I grit my teeth, finding myself stuck between a rock and a hard place as she asked, "So who's it gonna be? Pretty silver here…."

"…or the students over here?"

I quickly ran over my choices.

 _If I go for the kids…but what if Sierra doesn't react fast enough? But if I go for her…the kids…dammit!_

"D."

I flinched, my system on high alert as Sierra said, "The kids. Get them first."

"Oh? Trying to play hero now, silver?"

"No," Sierra replied, "I'm ordering my boy to save the future."

 _But what future is there without…wait…wait a minute…future?_

I then suddenly remembered something neat that Ruby had modified with my Alternate Echo. Back when we had gotten back together again at Beacon, she made a slight modification to the sword sheath that didn't allow me to use it like a bat. It was kind of disappointing, speaking as it was very effective, but now it was coming in handy.

 _Thank you, Ruby._

I gripped both sword handles, getting expectant looks from both of the girls.

"How about…," I stated, "both."

The girls both raised an eyebrow in confusion.

I heard something along the lines of cranking as the sheath split in the middle and separated the two swords. Both ends ended up pointing either handle both in front and behind me. I then heard Sierra grunt, then the girl letting out yelps of pain as I fired both swords from the sheath, hearing a cough of sorts, as well as the sound of Team TERA letting out gasps of surprise. I then synced, feeling my swords halt to a stop as I swung my hands horizontally, hearing the squad of White Fang members let out shouts of pain as the girl commanding them jumped out of the way.

My swords both came back and floated just over my left shoulder, pointing downwards as the girl brought a hand up to her mouth and said, "Well…that was unexpected."

"You bet it was!"

Terrance suddenly exploded from where he was, battleaxe ready and armed. I made to stop him, only to see Sierra yank him by the collar of his shirt and throw him backwards. He was about to argue before she shot him a look of killer intent, causing him to shut up and back away.

The girl then chuckled and pulled out a red dust crystal, causing Sierra to stiffen up a bit in surprise as the girl then stated, "You know…you shouldn't spend too much time playing with me."

"And why's that?"

I watched as Sierra reached down to pull a knife of her leg strap.

"Fufufu," the girl chuckled, "Because I don't know how long that little red gem can hold up."

"H…huh…?"

I blinked.

 _Little red gem?_

I blinked again, slowly comprehending what she had said.

 _Hang on…holding up…little red gem…red gem…gem…red…._

I suddenly found myself tensing up in fear. My mind began racing as my swords quivered in midair. My extremities felt like slush as one person immediately came to mind.

"Ruby…," I breathed out, immediately grabbing and sheathing my swords. I immediately took off towards the main harbor area where I had left Ruby and Lima. Sierra's faint shouting was the last thing on my mind as I began dreading what had become of my fiancé.


	31. Downward Spiral

**How's it going, y'all? Sorry for not updating lately. I've really been at a railroad as to how I was gonna have this sequence continue. I actually started a sobbing Elsword story to take my mind off this story, but I guess I had a spurt of brilliance and finished this chapter. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **At the main docks...**

* * *

"Hello Ruby."

Ruby shivered, feeling herself standing like a deer in headlights. The plaxen blonde's lips slowly curled into a gentle smile as Sierra finally scoffed and took off after Delta. Echo made to follow, but then noticed Ruby's nervousness as she stared back at Herald.

Herald blinked once, then asked, "How have you been, Ruby?"

"F…fine…," Ruby reluctantly stated, taking a step back.

Lima's ear flicked, hearing Ruby's hesitant step, causing her to turn around to face the others. She wiped her eyes of the tears as she slowly began making her way towards them, taking notice of Ruby's and Herald's heart rates rising. All traces of fear and sorrow suddenly disappeared as the feeling of aura slowly began surrounding Ruby.

"Fufufu…," Herald chuckled, "good to know…."

"Ruby!"

Lima immediately tackled Ruby, getting a yelp of surprise as the sound of electricity, mixed in with what sounded like compressed air being released, filled the air. The authorities all around suddenly turned their attention to Herald and Echo, the latter now several feet away from his former teammate, in a fighting stance as Herald sighed, then looked at her nails and said, "…what a shame…."

Echo's hands twitched occasionally, electricity riding off of his hands as he glanced at the ground where Ruby had been standing. Familiar memories spiraled out of control in his head as he remembered that Herald had long since left the original Team ERTH, and that the team was practically disbanded due to everyone going their own separate ways. He also remembered her obsession with Delta, as well as Windsickle's explanation of her. But where had she been all of this time? Why had she left the team? Why had she returned? What's her goal in trying to harm Ruby? There were simply too many questions that were unanswered for him not to grow at least a little suspicious of her.

"Herald," Echo asked in disbelief, "Why…?"

"Because I loved him."

The three blinked as Herald, whose smile slowly turned into a frown, said, "I loved him. I loved Delta. That's why I left, Echo."

"H…Herald…."

"I obsessed over him," she continued, grabbing her arms, "I wanted to be with him. I wanted him to notice me. To love me. I wanted him to think only of me!"

The air around her slowly began to swirl.

"But then," Herald continued, "But then…she came along."

Ruby blinked again as Herald pointed at her. Another shiver ran through her body as she winced, feeling a slight sting on her cheek as she grabbed Lima and zoomed away, the cloud of rose petals she left behind getting shredded to pieces. Ruby skidded to a stop as she took a stance, prepared to engage the mentally unstable plaxen blonde that stood before her.

"Curiosity turns to love," Herald stated, "Love turns into an obsession! Obsession to jealousy! Jealousy to hate!"

Ruby swung Crescent Rose back, then sliced downwards as she cut through an air blade.

"If I can't have him…," Herald stated, her voice shaking, "Then…nobody can…!"

Lima narrowly ducked in time, a piece of her hair getting clipped off as Herald began laughing hysterically.

Echo spat, then charged her, attempting to punch her, only for his hand to meet the unforgiving metal of her blade gauntlet. Wincing in pain, Echo then attempted to pump the gauntlet with electricity, only to feel the shocks reverse direction, causing him to let out a hiss of pain as he was suddenly blasted away from her, sharp bursts of air cutting into his clothing and surface of his skin.

With a groan, Echo grit his teeth as he skidded across the ground several times before catching himself, dragging his hand along the ground. The electricity beginning to roll off his hands, frustration beginning to grow in his system as he began mentally slapping himself for forgetting his double-blade. Ruby then zipped up to him, Crescent Rose's blade angled upwards. He turned, opening his mouth to speak, only to get cut off as Ruby stated, "Let me fight her."

"No way," Echo stated, "I won't let you get hurt, Ruby-."

"She wants to fight me," Ruby stated, "Let me fight."

Herald smirked, swirling the air around herself, only to feel it suddenly disappear. She blinked, attempting to swirl the air again, only to receive the same result. Confused, she began raising her hands, only to fee a sting on her cheek, then arm, then leg as she was then suddenly trapped in a vortex, her clothing beginning to shred to bits as she let out a scream of pain.

"How about you two just step back?"

Lima's ears perked upwards excitedly at the voice.

Ruby and Echo both glanced up, quickly getting out of the way as another, stronger blast of wind blew Herald backwards. The woman gritted her teeth, groaning as she then narrowed her gaze as she looked up to face a younger man with his hands in his pockets. His emerald colored irises burned through the plaxen blonde as he stated, "It's one thing to try to fight Delta's girl."

"Wh…what…are you…?"

"It's another thing to go after mine and hurt her brother."

Lima's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "Wind!"

Windsickle narrowed his gaze as he focused his aura, negating a wind blast from Herald, who jumped to her feet. Blue met emerald as Wind took his hands out of his pockets as both wind users slowly raised their hands. Ruby immediately zipped over to Lima and grabbed her, catching the poor faunus girl by surprise as they both went for a squad car, taking cover behind it as blasts of air began flowing around the area at high pressures.

Echo was quick to follow, opting to go behind an armored van as policemen began flying all over the place, trying to grab at whatever they could get a hold of.

"What," Wind asked, "Too much wind for ya?"

Ruby, Lima, and Echo both braced for another blast of wind as the two began slugging it out.

* * *

 **Delta running to the docks (1st POV)**

* * *

 _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!_

I skidded along the ground, turning yet another corner, zipping past several squads of the White Fang as I rushed back to the city.

 _Of course they go after her! Of course!_

I spotted another squad of White Fang soldiers standing in my way, this time with their weapons drawn and pointed at me.

"I'VE GOT NO TIME FOR YOU!"

Angrily, I drew my swords, slashing their rifles in half before taking off again.

* * *

 **Sierra's situation (3rd POV)**

* * *

"God fucking dammit, D…," Sierra cussed to herself as she looked at the two girls that were slowly circling her like a pair of Nevermore surrounding their wounded prey. She darted her attention to and fro, watching one, then the other as the student team nearby continued fighting with squad after squad of White Fang soldiers. Gritting her teeth, she began running through what the best course of action would be as the two pulled out handguns.

" _Fuck me,"_ Sierra screamed to herself as gunshots filled the air. Instinctively, she slowed down time, her eyes turning scarlet red as she leaned back, time returning to normal as the bullets whizzed past her face. Her bangs lifted off her face slightly as she caught herself, lifting herself up on one hand, seeing sparks light from either side of her hand as she landed on her feet again, preparing to jump. However, she then felt something dig into her gut, causing her to gawk as she felt her arm get pulled. Something rolled over her back, causing her to groan as she glanced to her left, only to see a heel connect with her cheek. With a grunt, she then felt something grab her by the collar of her shirt, then felt something blunt stab into her spine, causing her to let out a scream of pain as she fell onto her knees, trembling as she noticed a shadow standing before her.

Wincing, she looked up, seeing the familiar ice cream themed hair of Neo hovering over her, a smug smirk plastered on her lips per usual.

"D…Damn…you…," Sierra mustered out, watching as the girl slowly lifted her foot, holding it over Sierra's face.

"Sierra!"

Ambrose turned her attention to her elder huntress, making a dash towards her.

"Dawn! Wait!"

The girl was quickly intercepted by one of the two that were circling Sierra, being held down by a trident of sorts as the woman stated, "Have a soft spot for good ol' silver over there, don'cha?"

The student grit her teeth, struggling to get out of the pinned position she was in.

" _Dammit, not enough aura,"_ Sierra thought to herself as Neo reached down to pick her up. Sierra winced, groaning slightly as Neo gripped her hair, dragging her up to her feet. Clenching her fist, she was half-tempted to punch the ice cream themed girl, only to feel a sting in her left thigh. Sierra blinked, feeling something begin to trail down her leg as it suddenly turned into an intense burn, causing her to let out a scream of pain, closing her eyes as she felt the pain from her hair disappear, feeling herself land on the ground again.

"Khhh…!"

Sierra grit her teeth, reaching down to her leg, holding it as Neo wiped her umbrella blade of the blood. Sierra glanced upwards again, her eyes scarlet red in anger as Neo raised the blade again, holding it menacingly over her head. Her mind quickly began spiraling with ides, trying to figure out how to get herself out of the situation as Ambrose's screams of agony filled the air.

" _Grah…maybe only one second,"_ Sierra shut her eyes, contemplating her situation. The kids were in definite danger. Delta was also most likely going to have his hands full with helping Ruby, so calling him back was going to be pointless. The only other chance she had….

"… _Screw it. One second's all I need!"_

Sierra activated her semblance.

Momentarily, the area lost color, allowing her barely the second she needed to roll out of the way as her semblance ended just as quickly. An audible "CHUNK" filled the air as Sierra jumped back to her feet, losing her balance momentarily as her leg stung, causing her to hiss in pain. Quickly readjusting her stance, she leaned right, seeing a pink blur thrust past her face. She followed up with a roll as Neo swung her umbrella at her face, pulling out several knives. Neo reset her stance as well, deflecting the knives that were thrown at her as Sierra began running, albeit with a slight limp as she picked up some more, trying to keep her distance from her opponent.

Neo kept her smirk on her face, suddenly closing the distance between her and the silverette, catching Sierra by surprise. Neo was quick to kick Sierra's injured leg, getting a yelp of pain from her yet again, followed by Sierra cringing slightly as Neo kicked at Sierra's temple.

Sierra only heard a single "DING," then fell on the ground. She could feel all the blood rush to her head as her vision began blacking out.

Ambrose's screams filled the air as she suddenly threw off the two girls, rushing Neo. Neo took quick notice, taking a step back as the girl swung at her in vain, getting a chop to the back of the neck. The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"DAWN!"

Terrence threw his axe at Neo, now enraged. Eric made to stop him as he ran towards the girl, only to get tripped up by one of the two girls that was holding his teammate earlier. Aubrey reacted quickly, hitting one of the girls in the back with her spear, then twirled it around her body as she parried the attack of the other girl. Firing a shot off, Aubrey rolled her spear around neck, twisting her body, grabbing her spear again and nailing one of the girls in the face. The other girl gasped, the cried out, "Electra!"

Immediately, Aubrey went for the next girl, putting on a barrage of attacks.

Only to get caught by Neo, who wrapped her legs around one of Aubrey's arms and grabbed hold of her other arm. Aubrey, however, had other plans, back flipping through an attempted slam from Neo. With a grunt, Aubrey regained her balance before screaming, jumping and slamming Neo into the ground. Neo's eyes widened, actually letting out a small sound of pain as Aubrey, with an amazing feat of strength for someone her size, picked her up again, attempting to slam her back into the ground. However, the younger girl suddenly took a boot to the face, effectively knocking her out. Neo, taking her chance, slammed Aubrey into the ground neck and shoulder first.

"Aubrey!"

Eric immediately went after the red-haired woman who had knocked Aubrey out, attacking in vain as Neo suddenly appeared in his face, knocking both his swords out of his hands before kicking him in temple, knocking him out as well.

Which left only one.

"Fufufu," Scarlet chuckled, "This should be fun."


	32. A Twist of Fate

**How's it going, y'all? Hope you didn't give up on me for being silent for a bit...kinda focusing on school at the same time. However, my other story, _My Queen_ , seems to be doing very well. I also just recently got a request to continue _Lost Rose_...hmm...I'll think about it. Honestly, I wrote it back when I was younger, so I'm gonna have to get the "spark" to start writing it again. But anyway, enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 **The standoff between Windsickle and Herald**

* * *

"Herald," Windsickle stated, "Stand down."

"Why…?"

The wind in the area blew even more intense.

"I don't want to hurt you," he replied, his gaze growing ever sharper.

"Tch," Herald replied, "You wish…Winny."

Echo, Ruby, and Lima closed their eyes, staying hidden behind the car as the two wind users immediately went at each other. Wind began strafing to his left, then went into a flat out sprint as Herald reciprocated, both of them blasting each other with what they could muster. Air began blasting through whatever crevice it could go through. Lima peeked over the vehicle she and Ruby were hiding behind, squinting to see whatever she could.

"Wind…," she muttered, watching him as he jumped over the hood of another squad car, taking cover. He then peeked over the hood, only to narrowly avoid getting cut as Herald cut the car in half with her wind, followed by an attempted elbow to his face with her gauntlet's blade. However, Wind immediately raised his hands, palms face up, as he narrowly produced enough of his own wind to cause her to whiff. Immediately, he rolled out of the way to the other side of the vehicle, letting out a grunt as he kicked himself away, pulling out his scroll.

"What're you running away for!?"

Wind regained his footing, jumping onto the roof of the van Echo was hidden behind.

"Too much wind for ya, Winny!?"

Herald pursued, clearing the distance in a matter of seconds as Wind jumped off. Herald once again slashed at the vehicle with pressurized wind, clipping a piece of Echo's hair, getting a yelp from him as she chased him again. Wind, however, grinned, glancing upwards for a brief moment to see a glint of light. He then turned his attention to Herald, jumping onto another van.

"No," Wind finally replied, grinning as he continued, "You should pay attention, Plaxy!"

The plaxen blonde then stopped as Wind pointed upwards. Blinking, she followed his finger, spotting an object flying towards them. She squinted to try and see the object better, only to suddenly recognize what the object was. She was once on the other side of the object as she quickly scrambled to get out of the strike zone.

An explosion suddenly filled the air.

Ruby and Lima both grabbed each other, bracing themselves against the explosion.

Wind took the opportunity, quickly opening the torpedo-like locker and pulling out his chain sickles. Immediately, he began spinning them, quickly gathering wind with his quickly manifesting aura. Herald glanced at him, seeing him running towards her as he threw one sickle. Herald jumped to her right, dodging the first, but then sensed wind forming around her body. She shivered, then felt something coil around her right leg, causing her to glance down, spotting the other chain wrapped around it.

A grin slowly curled onto Wind's lips as he immediately wrapped the other chain around her, tightening the hold.

"Got you, Plaxy," he said, yanking at the chain around her leg, effectively throwing her off her feet. Ruby, Lima, and Echo all slowly crept out of their hiding spots as General Ironwood's robot troops appeared, marching gingerly at their own slow pace as the general himself appeared shortly after. He glanced at Ruby, then Lima, then Echo, before finally turning to Wind, who was holding Herald down.

"What happened here?"

"Well…," Echo began before the sound of Delta's voice filled the air. Everybody looked toward the warehouses, spotting the huntsman running toward them. Ruby immediately smiled, quickly closing the distance between them, getting twirled as Delta dropped his swords. There was a brief moment of intimacy between the two before he asked, "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine," Ruby replied, glancing back at the plaxen blonde behind her. Delta blinked, following her eyes with his own, spotting Herald gritting her teeth. His eyes widened as Herald kept her eyes on him, her face scrunching up in emotional pain as she finally glanced away, her eyes growing watery.

"He…rald…," Delta breathed out. He could feel a slight twinge of pain in his chest, knowing all too well that the woman loved him. However, his mind was quickly taken off of her as Lima walked up to him, rubbing a cheek against his. Closing his eye in surprise, Delta smiled as he stroked her hair, her ears wiggling happily as Wind walked up to him. Delta released Ruby from his other arm, fist pumping his rival-now-made-best friend and asked, "What happened here?"

"Meh," Wind replied, "Plaxy kinda went crazy, but everything's alright."

"Delta."

Said huntsman turned to Echo.

"Where's Sierra?"

"Sierra?"

Delta blinked, before realizing he had left his leader with Team TERA.

Alone.

"…Fuck. My. LIFE!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in a warehouse at the docks...**

* * *

"So…give up yet?"

"Ugh! Not in your wildest dreams!"

Terrence struggled against Scarlet's hold against him. The woman chuckled humorously, kicking at his ribs again, a sickening "CRACK" filling the air. Terrence immediately began coughing, covering his mouth as blood immediately began coming from his mouth.

"Still not breaking?"

"*COUGH* H…hell no!"

"Okay," Scarlet continued, "Suit yourself."

Scarlet proceeded to stomping on his shoulder, this time a loud "POP" filling the air. Terrence let out a scream of pain as she smiled sadistically, walking around to his front side and leaning down to his face. Terrence's face, scrunched up in pain, looked up at the woman, glaring at her angrily as she asked once more, "Had enough yet?"

Before he could answer, however, Neo walked towards them, causing Scarlet to glance up at the woman. Standing up, Neo nodded, then promptly turned around, walking towards what looked like an open door. The air suddenly filled with what sounded like a Bullhead starting up. Terrence grit his teeth, trying to move his sore body, his ribs and shoulder screaming at him as Scarlet simply chuckled. She then proceeded to grab him by his hair, getting groans of pain as she said, "Well then…tell good ol' amethyst eyes that we have his leader."

Just as quickly, she dropped him, getting a yelp of pain from him once more as she walked over to the rest of Team TERA. Dawn Ambrose, who had long since woken up, attempted to speak, only to be unable due to a gag around her mouth. Scarlet chuckled again, dropping down to the girl's level, stroking her jaw line. Dawn let out muffled curses as Scarlet's crimson red eyes scanned up and down her body, then to Eric and Aubrey, who were both still unconscious.

"Now then," Scarlet stated, stroking the poor girl's cheek, "I'm gonna borrow my little sister for a while. Let that boy of hers know, okay?"

Dawn continued her muffled screaming, her brow furrowed in anger as her eyes began to water. Scarlet suddenly pulled her into a hug, getting a yelp of surprise from Dawn as she began stroking the girl's hair. Petrified, Dawn felt the woman breath into her ear as she then said, "Don't worry…I'll be sure to return your dear teacher…fufufu…."

Nearby, Sierra groaned, her head feeling like it was gonna explode. With a growl, she opened her eyes, seeing a blurry figure begin to walk toward her. Furrowing her brow, she closed her eyes once more and groaned, letting out a yelp of surprise as she felt herself get picked up. immediately, she assumed that Delta had returned and finished the job. Only, Scarlet's familiar voice echoed in her ears, saying, "Sorry sis. There's something we need to talk about. But we can't do it here."

"…ugh…Sc…Sca…r…l..et…," Sierra mustered out, blacking out again.

* * *

"TEACHER! TEACHER!"

Dawn continued screaming after the woman now carrying her teacher away, crawling after them for all it was worth. Her hands and feet binded by ropes, tears began streaming down her cheek as she continued crying out for her beloved teacher. Terrence continued groaning in pain nearby as Aubrey winced, then began opening her eyes, hearing Dawn's screaming in the background. However, she was greeted with blurry vision. She blinked then winced slightly, realizing several moments later she was lacking her glasses. However, she could see enough to recognize Terrence lying on the ground nearby and Dawn crawling toward what looked like an open hanger door. She then glanced to her right, spotting Eric sitting unconscious next to her.

"Ambrose? Ambrose! AMBROSE!"

Glancing up, Aubrey spotted a blur she could only assume be Delta, followed by several more as she watched a few run over to where Terrence was, followed by two more going toward Dawn. She blinked again, watching Delta walk up to him, his figure growing sharper and sharper as the blurry vision turned into a clear vision.

"You alright, Aubrey?"

Aubrey could only muster a nod as he immediately began working on her bindings, then turned his attention to Eric, working on his as well.

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

"Lima! Is he alright!?"

I glanced back at Lima, who turned to me and motioned a hand across her neck. I grit my teeth, finally looking away from the two I had just freed, immediately running over to Echo, who was working on Ambrose. However, I was met with a smack on the face, catching me off guard as he immediately hovered over me, gripping the collar of my shirt. I widened my eyes in shock and surprise as he yelled, "THEY TOOK SIERRA!"

"Wh-wha-!?"

"THEY FUCKING TOOK SIERRA!"

I could feel the electricity begin to roll off his hands in anger.

"Echo-!"

"YOU FUCKING LET THEM TAKE SIERRA!"

I winced, then let out a scream as he let out some electricity. I could feel my body convulse involuntarily before he was ripped off of me. I could hear Echo screaming out profanity at me as Ironwood walked into the warehouse we were in, looking at the young team around us. He made to say something before Hotel's familiar voice yelled, "What happened!? Where's Sierra!?"

I sat up, feeling my mind ripping itself apart.

 _God…fucking…dammit…!_

I covered my right eye, grasping at my hair as Hotel ran over to me.

"Delta, you alright? What happened?"

"I…," I said, trying to speak again. However, my voice caught itself. I gawked, then felt my face heat up shame, embarrassment, sadness, and depression quickly flooding my system at the same time. Nearby, Echo's seemingly ceaseless stream of cussing continued, water beginning to fill my eyes as I grit my teeth, gripping my hair as I dug my face into my hand.

"…I…," I croaked out, suddenly feeling someone's arms wrap around me.

"Shh…," Ruby shushed, "It's okay, Del…it's okay…."

"N…no…it's…not…," I sobbed, bringing my other hand up to cover my other eye. I could feel Ruby release me, only for her grasp to return as she pressed my face into her chest. I could feel a warmth pool into my chest and stomach as she then whispered, "There there…it's okay…it's okay…."

"Oh…god…!"

* * *

 **3rd POV**

* * *

Lima's ears folded in against her head as Delta finally broke out into a loud cry. Nearby, Echo also began sobbing, his cursing finally coming to a conclusion. She slowly ushered Terrence back up to his feet, receiving a loud yelp of pain from him, causing her to flinch slightly. Immediately, a medical unit came and replaced her, taking him towards an ambulance.

"Lima," Hotel's voice asked, "What happened?"

"Si…," Lima stammered, surprised at the crack in her own voice, "Si…Sierra…Sierra is…."

Hotel blinked, slowly widening his eyes as he slowly comprehended what she could only say. A million thoughts suddenly flew into his mind as he then turned to Delta, who was still crying into Ruby's shirt. He almost couldn't believe it; Delta had most likely left his post. His post that Sierra had most likely assigned to him.

Roughly, Hotel walked over to Ruby and Delta, yanking the latter up on his feet, catching Ruby by surprise. Immediately, he readjusted his grip on his teammate, his eyes narrowed as he held Delta by his collar. Delta looked at the man miserably, tears still streaming down his cheek as Hotel yelled, "What the FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

Delta attempted to speak, but was cut off as Hotel got into his face.

"You left your post! Your POST! YOU DON'T LEAVE YOUR POST!"

"Hotel! Stop!"

Lima immediately ran over, grabbing at Hotel's arm in a vain attempt to stop him.

Hotel, however, continued screaming at Delta, who was dropping even lower into depression.

"H…Ho…tel…I…!"

Suddenly, Hotel felt something hit his gut, causing him to gawk and drop Delta, who miserably fell into Ruby's arms.

"Seriously babe, cut it out," Yang stated, shaking her good hand of the slight tingling that shot through it. Hotel grabbed at his stomach, coughing several times before looking back up at Delta, then turned to Yang, surprised that his fiancé had somehow managed to get out of the hospital and follow him all the way to the docks.

"Y-Yang? How…what…?"

"Take it easy," Yang continued, walking up to him, kneeling down. Hotel blinked as she stroked his cheek, then pressed her forehead against his. The man blinked again, then sighed, closing his eyes as Yang continued, "Delta's obviously in pain…take it easy on him."

Hotel processed what she said, finally letting out a sigh as Delta dug his face into Ruby's lap.


	33. Painful Reunion

**How's it going everybody? School's kicking me in the ass...ish...but here I am still typing away when I should really be doing other things. Well, here's the next chapter, though it's a little shorter than the others. Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Sierra (3rd POV)**

* * *

"…nn…khh…."

Sierra winced, feeling her body aching. There was a lingering sting in her left leg and her head felt like exploding. She gripped at her head, painfully rolling over to prop onto her knees, groaning as her body screamed otherwise.

"'bout time you woke up."

Sierra froze.

" _H…huh? Wha…what's…going on?"_

Sierra slowly glanced to her right.

Sitting beside her sat a woman. The woman's crimson red eyes burned through her very soul. The pain in her body was quickly replaced by anger, adrenaline filling her system immediately as she pushed herself as far away from the woman as possible, trying to get some distance. However, the woman sighed, then stood up and said, "That's not very nice, Sakuya."

"Sc…Sca…Scarlet…," Sierra breathed out, reaching down for her knife strap, only to grasp at nothing. Glancing down, she patted her legs, trying to find it, only to come up empty handed as Scarlet chuckled. Sierra glared at the woman, who reached behind her own back and pulled out the strap. Sierra's eyes widened in surprise as Scarlet asked, "Looking for this?"

"H…how…how did you…!?"

"Fufufu…," Scarlet chuckled again, putting the strap back in wherever she was storing it. Sierra's anger slowly began to turn into fear. Scarlet, who was sporting a grin, grinned even more as she watched her little sister beginning trembling. Scarlet continued watching as the younger woman asked, "Wh…what's going on!? Where am I!?"

"Dear, dear sister," Scarlet stated, walking up to Sierra. Sierra continued trembling in fear as the woman chuckled again, stroking her cheek, causing her to close her eyes and flinch. Scarlet's grin widened even more as Sierra opened her eyes, irises trembling in fear as Scarlet said, "Now then…you're under my care now. So behave, okay?"

"Y-you wish!"

Sierra made to punch Scarlet, only for the latter to catch her arm and roughly twist it. Sierra let out a scream of pain as Scarlet turned her around and pinned her to the wall, giggling this time as Sierra grit her teeth. Frustration quickly replaced Sierra's fear as she struggled against Scarlet's grasp, only for the woman to sigh and lean towards the younger's ear. Sierra let out an involuntary mewl as Scarlet breathed into her ear, feeling a little violated as Scarlet whispered, "I don't want to hurt you. So please be obedient."

"Fuck you…!"

"Hah…alright. Whatever you say."

Sierra's eyes widened, hearing a pop fill the air. Shock was her initial feeling, time seemingly freezing over without her semblance before a searing pain ran through her arm and shoulder. Closing her eyes, she scrunched her face in pain, about to scream out. However, she suddenly felt something cover her mouth, her scream getting muffled as Scarlet said, "Quiet now…you've got to be strong and hold it in…."

"Gyaaahh…uuuurrrrrgh…!"

Gritting her teeth, Sierra tasted iron in her mouth. Her head started spinning and hurting at the same time as she fought against blacking out. She could also feel her legs buckle, causing her to lose her ability to stand, only to feel her arm to drop down and something loop around her body, catching her.

"C'mon; I can't have you losing your strength now," Scarlet stated, dragging Sierra back over to makeshift bed, sitting her down against the wall. Sierra grit her teeth, trying to ignore the pain as Scarlet placed her hands on either side of her now dislocated shoulder. Sierra glanced at the woman, about to ask what she was going to do before she could roughly feel her arm get roughly popped back into the socket.

Scarlet quickly covered Sierra's mouth again, muffling another scream as Sierra's eyes grew watery, tears quickly streaming down her cheek.

"Well," Scarlet stated, pleasantly surprised, "Never thought I'd see _you_ cry."

Sierra glared at the woman, who simply smirked. However, she was quickly interrupted by a tap on the ground behind her, causing her to sigh and turn around. Sierra blinked the tears out of her eyes, gritting her teeth in an attempt to ease the pain as Scarlet's voice asked, "I thought I told you that I'd handle this."

"No worries," a very familiar voice stated, "It's just that you-know-who is really eager to get going."

Immediately, Sierra glanced up, seeing a man with a white coat, orange hair, ridiculous hat, and cane.

"Roman…Torchwick…," Sierra breathed out in disbelief, watching as the man walked up to her. He reached up and took a took his cigar out of his mouth, blowing out a puff of smoke as he whistled. Scarlet grew visibly uncomfortable as Sierra stated, "We…we…caught you!"

"Oh," Torchwick then hissed and replied, "Yeeeeaaaah, about that…."

"You were under Atlas security!"

"Right," the man stated, "Let's just say they're a bunch of sponges that make all of you believe they're a power house."

Sierra reached over and gripped her somewhat limp arm, gritting her teeth and narrowing her gaze in anger as the man took another puff from his cigar. He half-lidded his eyes, then poked her bad leg with his cane on the wound, getting a hiss of discomfort from her. He then proceeded to saying, "Now…I've always wondered how you sounded screaming in agony."

He suddenly jabbed her bad shoulder, receiving a scream of pain from Sierra.

"Hey!"

Torchwick suddenly took a blow to the gut, getting blown back to the opposite wall as Scarlet stated, "Back off, Roman!"

Groaning, Torchwick grasped his gut and raised a hand, calling, "Alright, alright! I give!"

Leaving the room, Torchwick began cursing under his breath. Scarlet, whose gaze had long since turned into a glare, watched him leave the room, then sighed as she stated, "That means you too, Neo."

Footsteps filled the air, following Torchwick out of the room.

Tears began streaking down Sierra's cheek again as said woman began whimpering in pain, clutching her shoulder and cursing under her breath. Scarlet, almost out of instinct, kneeled down to the silverette's level, sighing as she pulled the her into an embrace. The pain in Sierra's body almost immediately disappeared as Scarlet whispered, "…Sorry, Sakuya."

"Scar…let…!"

Sierra furrowed her brow, her body screaming at her that the embrace was wrong as Scarlet pulled away just as quickly.

Her eyes widened, Sierra almost couldn't believe what Scarlet had just done as said woman stood up and made to leave.

"W-wait!"

Scarlet stopped momentarily.

Sierra made to speak again, but for whatever reason, couldn't say anything. Scarlet turned back to face her one last time before taking her leave. Sierra blinked as the door to her "cell" closed, causing her to sigh as she looked at the makeshift bed, seeing a cloth of sorts sitting next to the pillow. With a pained grunt, she leaned over and grabbed it, tying it as best as she could as she used it as a sling, resting her arm in it. with nothing to do, she sat up against the wall, staring out the one window in the room, watching the clouds flying by.

"… _I wonder if they're doing alright…,"_ she thought to herself, closing her eyes.

* * *

"So Sierra has been kidnapped?"

Dawn nodded, sniffling as Aubrey attempted to comfort her. Eric turned to face the girls, Terrence still being in the hospital due to the events of past as Delta sunk his face deeper into his palms. He could feel tears beginning to well up in his eyes again as Ozpin grimaced, resting his chin on his hands.

"Hmm…," Ozpin mumbled to himself, trying to think up of ways they could possibly get her back. There was a "PING" at the elevator behind them, catching the remainder of Team TERA's attention as Glynda, James, and Qrow all entered the room. Qrow immediately glanced at Delta, who was finally recomposing himself, letting out a whistle as he stated, "So…missy Silverette has been kidnapped I hear?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ozpin replied, standing up from his desk. Delta felt a slight pang of pain in his chest as Ozpin then turned to Aubrey, who had an icepack of sorts up against her jaw, asking, "Now then…I believe that Team TERA will be our best answer for the matters. You may go, Delta."

"…Sir…," Delta replied quietly, nodding as he made for the elevator.

"Hold on Oz," Qrow stated, "Before the debriefing begins, I want to talk with this one first."

"Qrow," Ironwood replied, "We are here on business. We are not here to comfort anyone-."

"I'm not comforting him," Qrow stated, "I'm going to let him know what our next course of action is."

"Qrow!"

"Calm down, Jimmy," the man replied, "I know what I'm doing."

Delta blinked as Qrow ushered him into the elevator, leaving the others with the students.

"Hey," Qrow immediately said to Delta, "Relax. We've got this."

"What makes you so sure…?"

Qrow immediately recognized his emotional state. Delta was beating himself up. Hard.

"Kid," Qrow sighed, "If you keep moping about it, nothing will change."

"I know…," Delta replied, "I…I need to go find her."

"Don't do it."

Delta immediately looked up at Qrow.

"Look," Qrow explained, "You are in no way, shape, or form in any state to be saving anyone right now. Let us find her. Besides."

Qrow glanced away.

"You still have someone you love to look after."

Almost immediately, Delta turned to Qrow, surprised at his statement. Said man seemingly had a slight depressed look in his eyes as the elevator suddenly pinged to a stop, catching their attention. The doors slid open revealing Ruby, who had gone to one of the lower floors to repair a minor problem in one of the test robots. She blinked, comprehending both Qrow and Delta. The two also blinked at her as she walked into the elevator, the door closing as she reached down and grasped the latter's hand and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine, Rubes…," Delta replied, averting his glance downward. Ruby immediately placed her forehead against his, causing him to look into her eyes, seeing them looking back with concern. Ruby smiled, then said, "I'm here for you."

"I know…," Delta replied, seeing her smile, reflexively giving a small smile back to her. She then turned to Qrow, waving with a happy grin on her face. The man simply smiled at her as they reached the bottom floor, Delta and Ruby exiting as Qrow bid his farewell, leaving the two to head back to Vale on their own.


	34. Moving On

**Hiya, peeps! It sure feels like it's been a while since I last updated, so here's the next chapter. There's so many things going on in my life right now, it feels like my head's on a swivle. There's just not enough time to do things! Anyway, ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Delta at his dad's tavern... (1st POV)**

* * *

After an extensive yelling session with Echo, I had taken to sitting at my dad's tavern, just moping in what was usually the team's meeting room. A depressed feeling enveloped me as I continued contemplating what would've been had I stayed at my post with Sierra. About what would've happened if I hadn't left her alone with the kids.

 _She'd be right here. In front of me. Our team would still be laughing whole heartedly and everything would be normal._

Just then, a knock on the door caught my attention, causing me to turn to see Sword, catching me by surprise. I blinked as he walked in and took the seat across from me. I kept my gaze on him as he reciprocated before saying, "…so I heard what happened."

"What, are you going to give me shit about it too?"

"Let me speak first," Sword replied, "I'll let you know that it wasn't your fault."

"But it was," I shot back, sinking my face back into my arms, "I left her…with the kids. The _kids_."

"So you're saying that going for Ruby was the wrong choice?"

I looked back up at him as he said, "We don't blame you for going for her. Well…at least I don't. I mean, Weiss has been in a lot of pickles as of late, so I've had to take a lot of heat in the other businesses. Trust me; it's kicking my ass."

"But that doesn't have anything to do with what's going on, Sword."

"It does," Sword shot back, "Imagine you're on a mission; that you're the leader of the team. Your wife is in trouble so you leave your team for her sake. Trust me, Delta, you don't want to be there."

"…," I dropped my face back into my arms, only to then realize what he just said.

"…Wait," I looked back up at him, "You abandoned your TEAM!?"

"Gotta do what you've gotta do," Sword replied, "Especially when your fiancé is pregnant."

"Oh, right," Delta stated, "Even if the fiancé is pregnant, you shouldn't leave your—wait, WHAT!?"

This time, I stood up, backing up to the wall at what I just heard. Sword kept his gaze on me, his lips slowly curling up into a grin as he nodded. I stared, wide-eyed, as he asked, "In a better mood now?"

"Wh-WHY THE FUCK WOULD I BE IN A BETTER MOOD!? WHAT'RE YOU THINKING!?"

"Well," Sword began explaining, "When a guy and a girl love each other a lot, they want to make a-."

"God dammit! I know how kids are born, dumbass!"

Sword began chuckling as I suddenly felt my mood start to rise a bit. I blinked, standing completely upright as he stood up as well. He then walked up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I blinked again, my mood continuing to rise as he then said, "We all make mistakes. Just move along and the other hunters will figure it out."

"B-but," I began to argue before he took his hand off my shoulder. I stared after him as he began leaving the room, opening the door. However, he stopped midway out and turned back to me and said, "We need to cherish every moment of our lives. You're no different."

I couldn't believe it. Sword Alters, leader of Team SWRD, was giving me a lecture. In my own language.

 _I guess this is how I speak to other people, isn't it?_

"…I know that," I sighed, following him out of the room into the main lobby.

* * *

The sun had set, catching me by surprise at how much time I had spent just catching up to Sword at my dad's tavern.

Getting back to my apartment, I opened the door, spotting Ruby's boots sitting next to the doorway. Her signature red hood was hung up on the coat hanger next to the door as well, catching me by surprise. I closed the door behind me, locking it as I took my shoes off and made my way to the living room, seeing Ruby asleep with a book in hand, hanging off the side of the sofa. I blinked, then smiled as I walked up to her, sitting on the ground next to her face.

… _Well…I guess I could relax a bit. I mean, this is Ozpin we're talking about that's directing traffic. They'll find her._

I was quickly captivated by Ruby's face; her pale complexion seemingly glowing from the moonlight coming in from one window in my living room.

 _She's so beautiful…._

At last, I had to wake her up. The last thing I needed was for Taiyang to come slamming on my door in the middle of the night. I didn't quite understand either; we practically lived together now.

"Ruby."

I poked her face.

"Ruuuby."

I poked her again, getting a small moan from her. I couldn't help but smile as her face scrunched up, her hand dropping the book as she swung her arms around to stretch. I suddenly felt a burst off heat in my chest, a lump quickly growing in my throat as she grunted, arching her back off the sofa, sighing as she fell back down, her silver eyes opening as she turned to face me.

"Evening," I stated, watching her blink several times. When she finally comprehended me, she reached out and caressed my cheek, causing me to close my eyes as I grabbed her hand, feeling her warmth. I opened my eyes again, seeing concern in her eyes as she asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Rubes," I replied, "After having a chat with Sword…I feel a little better…I guess."

"That's good," Ruby replied, smiling as she slid her lower body off the sofa. I blinked, readjusting my position so I was leaned up against the couch. Ruby readjusted her position as well, sitting on my lap as she said, "I'm glad you're feeling better."

I made a sound of agreement, wrapping my arms around her. Ruby sighed, content, as she rested her head against my chest. I smiled again, relishing in the feeling of having her in my arms. We remained in position for what seemed like hours before I finally said, "…by the way, Weiss is pregnant."

"Oh, that's good to know."

I waited, holding back my inner laughter as Ruby went silent again. I could feel her tense up a bit before her eyes shot wide open. I let out a little chuckle as she immediately stood up and backed up to the TV, yelling, "SHE'S PREGNANT!?"

"Sshhh," I hushed, "People are sleeping, Rubes."

Ruby covered her mouth, causing me to let out a stream of silent laughter.

Quickly recomposing myself, I stood up and walked towards the kitchen, hearing Ruby follow close behind. I then walked over to the fridge, opening it to see that there was some left over cake that I wasn't aware of. And, of course, it had strawberries decorating it.

"…Ruby," I asked, "When did you buy a cake?"

"Huh? Oh, just earlier," Ruby replied as I took it out. Turning around, I couldn't help but chuckle as she immediately began salivating, her eyes shining as she stared at the dessert.

* * *

 **Hotel with Yang... (3rd POV)**

* * *

"You're fine, babe," Yang said to Hotel, who was still a little mad at Delta. The man simply scoffed, paying no attention to her, causing her to let out a sigh. Wrapping her arms around his body, she pressed her head against his back, feeling him tense up a bit.

"Yang…."

"Please, Hotel," Yang said, almost in a pleading manner. Hotel turned his head, looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Yang looked up, her purple irises meeting his as she said, "Just…please forgive him."

"Why? He let our leader get taken," Hotel scoffed, turning away from her. Yang let go of him and walked to his front side, causing him to look at her. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck as she then asked, "…so if I were in trouble, would you let me get killed or would you have stayed with her?"

"I would let you fight," Hotel replied, catching Yang by surprise.

"…So in other words, you'd let me get killed as opposed to letting Sierra get captured?"

Hotel opened his mouth, about to agree, only to catch on to what she had just asked. And suddenly, he didn't have anything to say. Hotel blinked down at Yang, who was still staring intensely back at him, waiting for an answer.

"…I…," Hotel replied, flabbergasted. He reached up to scratch his head, only for Yang to grab his arm and steal a kiss from him. Hotel blinked, slowly comprehending his fiancé's lips on his as Yang pulled away and said, "Calm down. It was an accident."

"B…But…."

"You're alright," Yang continued, wrapping her arms around him, "Ozpin and the others will find her soon. Believe that."

Hotel blinked, looking down at the young woman, who was now sporting a confident grin. He almost couldn't believe that someone like her…someone of her confidence and poise…was his. His woman. His future wife.

"Yang…."

"Just take it easy okay? Everything will be alright."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Lima's apartment...**

* * *

"You're okay, Lima," Wind whispered, massaging his girlfriend's shoulders from behind in an attempt to comfort her. However, Lima, who was sitting between Wind's legs, miserably stared at her knitting gear, her ears folded against her head, clearly saddened and depressed at the loss of her team leader. Her brother's condition also was eating away at her. When she had notified her parents of Wolx's condition, they immediately boarded the next shuttle to Vale, but were still a couple hours away from arriving.

"It's alright," Wind continued whispering, "You're okay…he'll be alright."

Lima's chest flared up as she gasped, causing Wind to tighten his grip on her, ever so slightly.

"You're alright," he whispered again, being replied to with a small whine. Wind blinked, then closed his eyes as he rested his head on her left shoulder, feeling his heart slowly begin beating faster. The sadness she was exuding. This helplessness. Wind couldn't bear to leave her alone.

"It's alright, Lima," Wind continued whispering, "I'm here for you."

"…Wind…," Lima finally whispered, her chest flaring up again. Gasping again, she slowly turned back to face him, his almost emerald orbs meeting with her own golden irises as her eyes grew watery. Wind blinked again as tears slowly began streaking down her cheek. Lima began sniffling, her ears still pressed against her head as she turned completely around, embracing him and digging her face in the crook of his neck. A muffled scream emitted from her as Wind began stroking her hair, resting his head against hers as she let out another muffled scream.

"It's alright," Wind whispered again, "Everything's gonna be okay."

Lima let out yet another scream, her tears quickly soaking into his shirt. Wind grimaced, furrowing his brow as his own chest flared up, a lump growing in his throat at the sight of his girlfriend, so weakened and scared. Lima's hands gripped at the back of his shirt even tighter as she let out another, weaker scream, trying to get closer to Wind.

"Ssshhh," Wind shushed, "You're okay…you're okay, love…everything's gonna be okay…."

"W…Win…d…!"

Lima pressed her face into his shirt again, letting out yet another scream as a knock on the door caught his attention.

"Door's open!"

The door immediately flung open, revealing Ara and Dimitri came flying in, crouching down to Wind and Lima's level, immediately draping themselves over her.

"Is everything okay, dear!? Are you alright!?"

Dimitri glanced at Wind, who replied with a shake of his head. Ara then glanced at Wind, silently exchanging words with him as she slowly ushered her daughter towards her. Lima immediately dug her face into her mother's chest, letting out another scream as Wind glanced at Dimitri and said, "She's been like this since I got here."

Dimitri's own ears flattened in agony as Ara began whispering, "It's okay, dear…it's okay…Wolx is going to be okay…."


	35. Another Accident

**Now I've been in a real pickle as of late. Finally, almost 140 chapters in, I've finally come up with a final design for Delta. As for the rest of the characters...well...they're gonna have to wait for now. I'll probably put up all of the characters eventually on my DeviantArt account. But anyway, enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

 **Delta at his apartment (Delta's POV)**

* * *

"So she's settled down now?"

"Yeah," Wind replied over my scroll. I let out a sigh of relief as he continued, "I'm going to spend the night with her while Ara and Dimitri go check up on Wolx. I'll let you know if I need any help."

"That works," I replied, asking him to tell her that everything was going to be okay before he hung up. With a sigh, I closed my scroll, pulling my shoes on as I went to go take in some fresh air.

"Del? Where're you going?"

 _Oooooor I can do that, too._

"…on second thought, nowhere," I replied, remembering that Ruby was still in my apartment with me. I slipped my shoes back off as I turned and made my way towards the living room, where she was sitting. Ruby glanced up at me from her book, inserting a book mark as I sat down next to her. Scooting next to me, Ruby rested her head on my shoulder, snaking her hand towards mine and intertwining our fingers.

"How's Lima taking it?"

"She's settled down," I replied, "Wind's gonna stay with her for the night to make sure she doesn't do anything rash."

Ruby let out a sound of relief, moving slightly to get a bit more comfortable. I leaned back onto the couch myself, enjoying Ruby's presence. I must admit; even in this time of high tension, having her here is probably the best thing that could ever happen to me. I found myself smiling as I slightly turned my head, looking down at her deep red hair. I then put my head on hers, whispering, "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Del," Ruby replied. I was about to speak again before a knock on the door caught my attention. I glanced up, our mood being ruined, as Ruby released my hand. I stood up, walking over to the door, taking a peek through the peek hole, seeing Taiyang standing outside.

 _Oh for the love of…._

I backpedaled towards the living room, motioning to Ruby, who let out an aggravated sigh as I walked back over and unlocked it, swinging it open. Taiyang greeted me with a surprisingly cheerful mood, holding up a bag of what I could only presume to be sweets. I could hear Ruby shuffle up behind me as he said, "Evening, Delta! I thought I'd drop by and give you some—Ack! Ruby!?"

I glanced back at her, then took a step to the side as Ruby's eyes seemingly sparkled at the bag. Taiyang proceeded to raise the bag and swing it to and fro as Ruby tried getting at it. I blinked, holding back my laughter as he said, "Anyway I—oof—wanted to—ack—give you some—oof—snacks!"

I nodded, then turned my attention to Ruby, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her away from her dad. I could hear a whine of disagreement, followed by a feeling of getting stabbed by a million daggers, as I shielded Taiyang from Ruby, who was struggling to get around me. I grabbed the bag and quickly replied, "Thanksforthegiftshe'sgonnatrytoripyourheadoffbye!"

And slammed the door.

I then proceeded to synchronize with my remaining swords in my bedroom closet, ending up in there and quickly shoving the bag wherever it wasn't visible. Just as quickly, the door flew open as Ruby dragged me out, a predatory look on her face as she loudly said, "Give me one of those cookies!"

I clawed at the ground, trying to get a grip on the carpeting as she suddenly released me of her hold, immediately jumping into the closet. I quickly covered my head, hearing a crash, then looked up, seeing a gear from my Alternate Echo rolling on the ground. I gawked as Ruby crawled out of the closet, holding one half of my sword sheath, a joint hanging miserably from it.

"Oww," Ruby cried. I stood up, walking over to my bed as she followed, sitting next to me. I then grabbed the broken sheath, inspecting it, feeling a light depression begin to cover my being as Ruby gasped. I felt lightheaded. Torn. My longtime partner was actually broken now. Not from combat like I had always envisioned, but from a little accident.

Ruby took a bit to recover, but when she did, oh was she ever panicked and saddened.

"Oh no! I-I'm sorry!"

I blinked, slowly reaching and grabbing the broken sheath, inspecting the little piece that Ruby had added that allowed the sheath to split in two. The little rod hung miserably as I felt a little piece of myself rip out of my body. The longer I stared, the more I felt my heart tear apart as Ruby said, "I'm so sorry Del! I'm sorry!"

"I…," I stammered, "I…it…it's…alright…."

"No, it's not! W-we need to fix it right away!"

Ruby made to grab it from me again, only for me to keep it out of her reach.

"Ruby, it's alright."

"I-I-I'm so sor-!"

"Ruby!"

Ruby flinched, then scurried to my bed's headboard. I dropped the broken half, staring miserably at the other half still in my closet. I raised my hand, synchronizing with the sword that was still in it, watching as it materialized, the handle appearing perfectly in my hand. I let out a sigh, feeling a little relief that the damage had not only damaged my remaining swords, but also the fact that Ruby was unharmed.

"…Ruby…," I sighed out, dropping the sword next to its still sheathed brother that I had set next to my bed. I then turned to Ruby, surprised to see that her eyes were watery. I furrowed my brow, crawling up next to her as I said, "It's okay, Rubes…it's alright."

"B…but…I…! Your weapon is…!"

"I can still use it," I replied, ushering her into my arms. Immediately, she stiffened, then relaxed as I laid us down onto my bed with Ruby on top. Her somewhat ragged breathing slowly, but surely, began to slow down. I raised my hand and began to stroke her hair, shushing her.

 _And to think this was me just a couple minutes ago._

"It was only the sheath that was damaged. The swords are alright. Even better, _you_ aren't hurt."

"B…but…!"

Ruby lifted her body off of me, her eyes still full of worry. I smiled at her reassuringly and pecked at her lips, catching her surprise as I pulled away just as quickly. Ruby blinked down at me as I said, "I'll just get it fixed when I go get myself some new swords."

With a slight groan, I rolled her off of me and walked over to my closet, pulling out the bag of sweets from where I had stuffed it behind where my now destroyed wooden weapon storage box was. I the proceeded to walk back over to Ruby, who had sat up, her eyes lighting up a bit as I reached in and pulled out a bag of cookies. I couldn't help but smile as I sat down and gave it to her, watching her immediately tear at it and chomp away at the sweets, crumbs littering my bed.

"Umm…Ruby," I said, but was ignored.

"Ruby."

Same result.

"Ruby."

Same thing again.

"You're making my bed messy."

She ignored me again, too engrossed in eating away.

"…Alright, play it that way."

Ruby made to bite into another, only for me to snag it away. She made to argue and fight against me, but was cut off as I mashed my lips to hers and pushed her down onto my bed, feeling her stiffen up as I pulled away, keeping the cookie well out of her reach. I grinned, then dropped down to her ear and whispered, "You're making my bed dirty, love."

"Oh! Sorry…," Ruby replied, a grin covering her face. I chuckled, then pulled her back up and shoved the cookie into her mouth. Her eyes widened, but then closed in delight as she chewed at it, savoring the taste as I began working on taking off the sheets.

"Foowwy Dewl," Ruby said again, speaking with her mouth full. I glanced back at her, a smirk on my face, as I said, "No problem. But don't talk with your mouth full."

* * *

 **At a certain cell... (3rd POV)**

* * *

"…How…long…have I been here…?"

Sierra continued staring out the lone window, watching the moon and its scattered pieces slowly floating up.

"…I hope Delta isn't beating himself up right now…," she muttered to herself, imagining Ruby comforting her teammate. She then thought about Hotel, who most likely had assaulted the guy who was most likely in a hapless mess, then to Lima, who was most likely in a worse state than Delta. And finally, her mind wandered to Echo.

"Oh god…please don't have done anything rash," Sierra muttered again before hearing the clacking of a food tray next to her. Glancing to her left, she watched as a White Fang member tapped on the cell door with a baton and said, "Enjoy your last meal, bitch."

"That's what you've said the last five hundred times," Sierra muttered yet again as the guard continued on his way, the sound of rolling wheels that she was oblivious to before going down the hall. She then looked at the food; a nasty glob of mashed potatoes with a less than stellar looking burger patty that looked like it was way too undercooked.

"Gross," Sierra scoffed, sliding the tray back under the door in distaste.

"That's not a very good thing to do," a very familiar voice said.

"Shut the fuck up," Sierra replied as the door slid open. Glancing at it, Scarlet held the tray of food and said, "Tsk tsk tsk. You won't be able to keep your strength up at this rate."

"Ooh, and suddenly you care," Sierra mocked, gesturing the hand on her good arm in an offensive manner. Scarlet, however, wasn't impressed. The woman simply closed the door behind her and kneeled down to the silverette, who had turned her attention back to the window.

"Sakuya."

Sierra remained unfazed.

"You won't make it at this rate."

"Why the fuck would you care," Sierra replied, "You brought me here so I could rot away and die like all the other hunters you've murdered in your time."

Scarlet felt her heart tear open from the phrase, but remained composed as she sighed and reached into a pocket. Sierra refused to look at the woman, who then grabbed at her hand and felt something be placed in it. Finally, azure orbs turned to scarlet as the woman said, "Your wounds aren't healing properly and you can barely stand. Not just that; you can barely even activate your semblance. At least eat something to keep up your strength."

"Oh sure," Sierra sarcastically replied, "guess I'll eat out my own hair if I have to."

"Sakuya," Scarlet said in a serious tone, "Be serious."

"I'm always serious," Sierra shot back, "and why're you being nice? We're enemies."

Scarlet opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. Sierra smirked victoriously, then glanced at what Scarlet had placed in her hand, seeing a granola bar of sorts. Blinking, she looked at the older woman, who had stood up and walked to the other side of the cell, placing the tray of food on the window sill as she said, "…I have my reasons."

"Reasons that you'd go off and dislocate my shoulder," Sierra said, the sting in her shoulder refusing to disappear. Her aura refused to regenerate properly and her wounds that would normally be healed within a matter of days were beginning to feel like they'd never heal. Her stomach growled with hunger and her throat was partly parched from lack of drinking water.

Footsteps filled the cell again, catching Sierra's surprise as Scarlet wrapped her arms around her and said, "Please Sakuya…there's a lot of people depending on you."

"Huh? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I can't say," Scarlet replied, backing away slightly as she opened the granola bar for the younger woman. Sierra watched as she lifted it up to her face and said, "Now; eat."

Sierra immediately turned away, but then felt something grab her face as Scarlet shoved the bar into her mouth. Her mouth immediately began salivating as her taste buds ran into overdrive after being neglected for what seemed like forever. Sierra's eyes shut tightly as she reflexively swallowed, her throat burning from dryness as the contents traveled down to her stomach. Almost immediately after, something plastic was shoved into her mouth, catching her by surprise as she choked from liquid that was being forced down her esophagus.

Scarlet pulled away the water bottle momentarily, allowing Sierra to catch her breath, but then quickly shoved it back into her mouth to keep her quiet. Sierra began struggling against the woman, attempting to push her off, flailing her legs wildly for what seemed like hours. Instincts made her swallow down the liquid greedily before the bottle was finally pulled away from her mouth.

Gasping for air, Sierra felt uncomfortable from the forced content in her stomach, groaning as her stomach ached. Dropping down to the floor, she grasped at her stomach, groaning ever so slightly, furrowing her brow as Scarlet leaned down, kissing her temple. Glancing up, an almost disgusted feeling enveloped her being as Scarlet said, "Please…try to make an effort to keep up your strength."


	36. Adjustments

**Holy cow, how long has it been? I hope y'all haven't lost hope on me just yet. There've...been quite a few things happening in my life right now. Anyway, here's the next update, and do enjoy!**

* * *

 **Yang at the hospital (3rd POV)**

* * *

"Seriously; you huntsmen and huntresses are something else," the doctor stated as Yang continued flexing her hand. There was still a very light, almost unnoticeable sting in her hand, but it didn't matter. What did matter was the fact that she could start fighting again. Her lips slowly curled up into a mad grin as she reached over to the half of Ember Celica that hadn't been taken away for repair.

"However."

The grin immediately wiped off her face as she froze in place, hand on the bracelet.

"That doesn't mean to say that you're allowed to fight."

"What!?"

Yang jumped to her feet, gripping her weapon tightly in aggravation.

"Just because your hand feels fine doesn't mean it's completely healed," the doctor continued explaining, "There's still a small fracture in your knuckle right here-," he pointed to a spot on her hand in the x-ray, "—and if you were to apply pressure incorrectly there, you'd break your hand even worse than you did before."

"C'mon doc! I feel fine! My hand feels alright!"

"The x-rays don't lie, Yang," Taiyang stated, having stayed with her the night before. Yang immediately began pouting, crossing her arms and puffing her cheek. Her hair let off sparks here and there as the doctor sighed in annoyance. Readjusting the collar of his shirt, he then said, "And you have to be in the wheelchair when you leave."

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

An explosion filled the air, causing me to flinch in surprise. I looked up the building that was the hospital, seeing smoke come out of one window in particular as Hotel, who was next to me, sighed. I turned to him as he said, "…must be Yang."

"I wouldn't deny it," I replied, Ruby eagerly running ahead of us to see her sister. I hopelessly smiled, watching the ball of energy run into the hospital. Following her, she was quick to ask where Yang's room was situated, before Yang came rolling up in a wheelchair, arms crossed as Taiyang tried his best to cheer her up.

"Don't worry honey," Taiyang stated, "You'll get out of this thing soon."

"Pfft," Yang scoffed, "Yeah right. He wants me to stay in this damn thing for the rest of my life!"

"Who wants you to stay in that 'damn thing' for the rest of your life?"

Yang's hair seemingly flinched on its own as she suddenly shot out of the wheelchair, throwing herself on Hotel, who let out a grunt of pain and surprise. I blinked in surprise, followed by Ruby flying past me and tackling her older sister, who had just let go of Hotel. The two shared their joyous reunion as Taiyang walked up to me, a bit worried, before I stated, "…huh. Interesting."

Just then, I felt a dagger of sorts begin piercing through my very being, causing me to shiver as I slowly glanced at the man next to me, seeing his glare. I flinched as he crossed his arms, then said, "…So…what was so important that you slammed the door on me the other night?"

"O-oh, that? U-umm…well…umm…," I stammered, scratching the back of my head. I could feel Taiyang's killer intent intensify before I felt something yank the collar of my shirt, my head suddenly getting buried in what I could only assume to be Ruby's breasts. I let out a gawk of surprise as Ruby said, "Knock it off, dad!"

Taiyang almost immediately appeared flabbergasted as Ruby puffed a cheek, holding onto me possessively. I blinked, but then smiled as I closed my eyes, sensing Taiyang's confused feelings. I could then hear Yang and Hotel laugh in the background as I pushed myself away from Ruby's chest, looking at her, seeing her somewhat confused look.

"It's okay, Rubes," I stated, then turned to Taiyang and bowed apologetically and said, "And about the door, it was either you get mauled by her for having sweets or get the door slammed on your face. I apologize for that."

"What!? I wasn't gonna maul him!"

"Alternate Echo says otherwise, Ruby," I shot back, turning around to see her open her mouth to try and reply something, only to close it several moments later. She then grew visibly red in the face as she averted her gaze, causing me to chuckle. She was so cute at times like this.

"…Aaaannyway," I continued, keeping my gaze on Ruby, "I need to run to the repair shop. What're you gonna do?"

Ruby blinked at me, almost as if she didn't know I was talking to her. I reciprocated, her glance, keeping my eyes right on her. We kept our awkward silence for what seemed like forever. I could feel Taiyang's gaze begin stabbing me again as Ruby glanced left, then right, then pointed at herself and asked, "Wait…me?"

"No duh," I replied, "What're you gonna do the rest of the day?"

"Huh," Ruby said, putting a finger on her chin. I turned around to Taiyang again, shrugging at him. However, the man seemed less than impressed as Hotel said, "Well, we'll be taking our leave now."

"Will do," I replied, suddenly seeing Yang's fist come flying out of nowhere and nail Taiyang a good one with her good hand.

"Oh, stop pressuring the poor guy, pops," she stated, a groan coming from the freshly made hole in a wall. Doctors and nurses alike all began pouring into the entrance room, glancing into the hole that Taiyang had just been punched through as I slowly turned back to Ruby, looping my arm around hers and saying, "...Or maybe it's better if you just come with me for my protection…."

And with that, I dragged Ruby, who was yelling her good wishes to Yang and Hotel, out of the hospital.

* * *

"Hey, Del?"

"Hmm?"

I glanced over at Ruby, who was inspecting the newly-repaired half of Ember Celica, then turned back to sharpening one of my swords as she asked, "Did you…want me to fix Alternate Echo?"

"Huh?"

Having made our way over to her little repair shop that was literally just a renovated car garage, I shouldn't have been surprised to hear that question.

I looked at her, dropping the whetstone I was using to sharpen my two remaining swords as she fondled around with the freshly repaired half of Ember Celica in its bracelet form. I blinked, watching her continue fondling around with it nervously. Before I knew it I had grabbed the two broken pieces of Alternate Echo and placed them on her work bench. There was a slight "eep!" of surprise, but then Ruby quickly recomposed herself and brought out a box of tools, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the sheath excitedly.

"Hold up, Rubes, hold up," I stated, yanking it out of her reach before she could begin tearing it apart. I grinned as she dropped her tools and began pouting, standing up to me. However, she didn't quite get her way considering she was still smaller than me, reaching up, but being unable to grab it. I chuckled, then said, "Ruby, I wanted to—hup—change the—nn—design a bit!"

Almost immediately, she stopped. I sighed, then dropped the two pieces back down onto the table and took her hands. Dragging her over to the couch she had conveniently decided to put in the shop, I sat her down on my lap and pulled out my scroll, pulling up a projection. Ruby stared at the projection curiously as I asked, "Can you make it?"

* * *

 **Meanwhile, at Sierra's cell...(3rd POV)**

* * *

"One-fifty...one-fifty-one…one-fifty-two…!

"What're you doing?"

Sierra stopped her squats, looking up at Scarlet, who was looking straight at her. The cut on her leg had fully healed from what could only be described as a couple days ago, but her shoulder was still no good. Her aura was still replenishing itself.

"Keeping up my strength," Sierra replied, going right back to her squats. However, she was rudely interrupted as Scarlet grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, causing her to gawk in surprise. Struggling against the woman, Sierra felt herself get thrown out of her cell, landing painfully on what could only be concrete flooring, letting out a grunt. Her shoulder stung painfully, causing her to grasp at it as Scarlet stated, "There's someone who wants to speak to you. I think you'd enjoy it."

"Why—nn—the hell would I enjoy talking to one of you…," Sierra breathed, only to pulled up roughly to her feet via her collar again. Gasping again from her stinging shoulder, she felt Scarlet patting her clothing down. Glaring at the woman, Scarlet sighed and said, "You really need a fresh change of clothes."

"Pfft," Sierra replied, "Like hell you're getting me in one of those jumpsuits."

"Nope."

Sierra looked up at the woman, somewhat surprised as Scarlet stated, "You're getting something better~."

"…Oh god…," Sierra said in clear distaste, having no choice but to follow Scarlet down the hall. However, she suddenly felt someone loop their arm around her good arm, causing her to turn to her right to see a familiar ice-cream themed girl skipping gingerly with her umbrella open on her opposite shoulder. Sierra let out a gagging noise, causing Scarlet to laugh as the latter stated, "Neo's taken quite the liking to you, Sakuya."

"Well screw you too," Sierra replied under her breath, shooting one more look at Neo, who was smiling up at her. Furrowing her brow, Sierra immediately began wondering why this girl always seemed to have either a smile or an overly confident smirk on her face. It was beginning to annoy her considering that Neo knocked her out and left her with a headache that had raged on for several days.

"…Neo, was it?"

The girl looked up at Sierra, a smirk plastered on her face.

"…why're you always smiling? It's pissing me off…."

Neo said nothing, much to Sierra's expectations. She didn't say anything during their first encounter, nor their second. Sierra began wondering if the girl was mute, or if she flat out just didn't like talking, similarly to Lima's quiet, placid nature. Nearby, Scarlet chuckled to herself as the ice cream themed girl happily continued walking the hall with Sierra. Scarlet always knew that Neo had a soft spot for anyone who could land a blow on her.

Within the next few moments, Scarlet stopped.

Sierra, not paying attention, bumped into the woman, letting out a small sound of surprise. Neo's grip, however, didn't falter, keeping Sierra on her feet as Scarlet knocked on a door. Regaining her composure, Sierra grimaced, watching as Scarlet entered a room and said, "I've brought her."

"Good good," a voice called out from within.

Just as quickly, Scarlet exited the room and ushered Sierra in. Blinking in confusion and a little fear, Sierra swallowed her spit as Neo walked over to whoever was sitting in the desk in front of them. Neo then proceeded to bow, aptly turning around and walking past Sierra and out the door. Sierra watched the girl waltz out of the room, then turned back around, only to see a woman right in her face. Sierra blinked, feeling burning orange eyes pierce through her very soul as the woman stated, "It's such a shame that such a young lady be wasted by becoming a huntress."

"What did you say…?"

"I like you already," the woman continued, walking back over to the desk. Sierra narrowed her gaze, watching the woman carefully. The woman chuckled, then leaned herself against the desk as she then stated, "I have just the perfect clothing for you."

"What are you talking about…," Sierra asked. There was a shuffling behind her, causing her to turn around to see Scarlet pulling out what looked like an outfit on a clothes hanger. Blinking, Sierra tried to look at the whatever outfit Scarlet was holding, and by god she already didn't like it just from seeing the dark outline alone. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would've immediately assumed it was a….

*Snap*

Sierra flinched as lights turned on, brightening up the room even more.

And she immediately dropped her jaw.

"What do you think~?"

"Fuck no," Sierra stated, "Hell fucking no! No no no no no! No way in fucking hell you're getting me in _that_!"

"I think you'll enjoy it," Scarlet stated, her eyes seemingly sparkling as she menacingly walked towards Sierra. Sierra then turned around to face the woman that she was talking to earlier, only to see that they had disappeared. However, there was one person she had forgotten about.

Scarlet's eyes continued sparkling as she then called out, "Neo~!"

Suddenly, Sierra felt arms loop around her shoulders, catching her off guard as she turned her head, spotting Neo grinning madly. For someone so small, she was surprisingly strong. Too strong for Sierra, considering her shoulder was still healing.

"No! Keep that away from me! Don't—gyah!"

"Don't worry sis; everything will be alright~!"


	37. Easing Up

**...Okay, I'm gonna cut straight to the chase. I've been neglecting updating my stories due to a group on Facebook that I had joined a while back. Basically, because my OCs aren't abiding to the color naming rule, they were not accepted and I've been contemplating whether I should even bother finishing this story. I mean, it hurts when someone flat out tells you your characters suck. Hell, it's even worse if they say your story sucks altogether. Hah...sorry I'm going on a little rant, but that's been me in a gif. So here's a little something I decided to put together. Now, I go back to contemplating whether to finish the story or not. Enjoy.**

 **...oh yeah...**

 **Lemon alert**

* * *

 **Sierra's situation...**

* * *

Sierra sat, embarrassed and humiliated as Scarlet fawned over her. Neo sat next to her, smiling away with the happiest smile in the world, annoying Sierra even more so. It was bad enough that she was being held captive; now it was even worse due to being forced to wear a maid's outfit.

Sitting and cursing, she refused to even so much as glance up to Scarlet, or even to her left, where Neo was seated. Scarlet continued letting out phrases, such as "cute" and "adorable," while Neo continued folding Sierra's clothing. The ice cream themed girl continued shooting glances of curiosity as Sierra's cursing slowly began to die down.

"You look great, Sakuya," Scarlet stated, walking up to her younger sister. Sierra, however, remained silent. Scarlet continued smiling as she then pulled Sierra's head against her chest, catching the girl off guard. Sierra blinked in mild surprise as Scarlet whispered, "It's the only way…."

"Fuck you…," Sierra grumbled, only to receive a slap to the face.

Scarlet's smile slowly turned into a sadistic grin as she said, "Watch your tongue, slave."

Sierra glared up at the woman, who licked her right index finger and said, "Now then…I wonder how much you can take before you break…."

* * *

 **Ruby and Delta at Ruby's little repair shop...**

* * *

"Hah…," Ruby sighed, plopping down next to me on the couch. I turned to face her, seeing her utterly exhausted, unable to help but smile from how hard she was working. I set down my scroll, scooting over to her as I said, "You don't have to push yourself, love."

"But I want to," she replied, "we've gotta get this thing done!"

"We aren't getting anything done if you get sick or hurt yourself, Ruby," I replied, pulling her onto my lap. She let out a small gasp of surprise as I raised her hand, feeling a little bit of grease. Ruby sighed, then attempted to get into a more comfortable position as I leaned back, feeling her do the same on me, her head arching over my shoulder. I took in the sweat mixed scent of strawberries, closing my eyes as she asked, "…how long's it been since we've been this close to each other?"

I then opened my eyes in surprise, suddenly realizing that it had been a while since we've been _this_ intimate. Hell, I didn't even remember when the last time we had sex was. However, right as I was about to ask, she turned her head just enough to catch my lips, catching me by surprise as she said, "…oh, I remember now."

"Let me guess," I said, "Not since you tied me onto the bed?"

Ruby giggled, partially out of nervousness, but also out of humor as she nuzzled the back of her head to my neck. I was half-tempted to push her off of me as revenge, but quickly thought against it as I simply smiled, snaking my arms around her waist, receiving another giggle from her. I then sighed with content, delving in the feeling of her in my arms, feeling my body begin to relax as a sense of security enveloped my being. Before I knew it, I found my face in the crook of her neck.

"…mm…," Ruby lightly moaned, shifted slightly. I felt her arm snake around my neck as she lightly moaned, "Del…."

I chuckled, rubbing her stomach, resisting the urge to undress her right then and there. As much as I would've loved to have sex with her in her shop, I couldn't let my instincts get the better of me. There were more important matters than screwing her silly.

"Ruby-," I began, only to be cut off as she turned her head and pressed her lips against mine, effectively shutting me up with a kiss. I blinked, watching her pull away, her eyes half-lidded seductively. I felt a lump in my throat, causing me to swallow my spit as she turned her body, her legs hanging off to my right as she looped her arms around my neck. Her lips curled into a smile as she brought her face up to mine and whispered, "Delta…."

"Wait, Ruby," I said, only to be cut off with another kiss. Instincts tightened my grip on her as she pulled away, letting out a small mewl as I opened my mouth to speak again. However, I was cut off again by another kiss, this one involving our tongues this time. There was a spike of adrenaline throughout my body as Ruby pulled away again. I then said, "W-wait Rub-!"

And I was cut off again.

"Mm…," Ruby moaned, playing with my tongue.

 _Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!_

"W-wait Ru-!"

She cut me off again.

I was definitely tempted to push her off before my scroll started going off, leaving me with a lucky break. I immediately pulled it out of my pocket, about to hit the answer button before Ruby slapped it out of my hand, my means of communication clinking on the floor miserably for a moment before she mashed her mouth to mine, causing another spike of adrenaline to surge through my body. So much so that my breath hitched. _Oh boy…._

"Puah! Ruby, stop!"

Ruby, however, ignored me as she attempted to deepen our kiss even further. My pants began feeling really tight and uncomfortable as I fought to keep a level head, pushing her away. I attempted to speak again, only to get cut off once more, this kiss extremely short as she pulled away with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. The shop was filled with our pants, me staring right into her eyes and vice versa before Ruby stated, "Don't…make me…waste these…pills for nothing…."

More adrenaline spiked through my body, causing my breath to hitch again as my raging erection pressed against her crotch, causing her to smile.

"C'mon Del," Ruby whispered, leaning into my ear.

 _Okay…this isn't good._

"C'mon…."

 _Ruby, don't talk like that!_

"Just…."

 _God fucking dammit Rubes, stop!_

"Cut loose and fuck me."

And just like that, all my sanity was thrown out the window as I mashed my lips against hers, getting a muffled yelp of surprise from her as I pinned her to the couch, getting between her legs as weeks, hell maybe months, of frustration began letting itself out. Impatiently, I began dry humping her, hearing sweet squeals from as I let out an animalistic growl.

"You know," I stated, "I might as well just cut your clothing off of you…."

"I wouldn't advise that," Ruby replied, giving me a sly smirk as she slowly slid her shirt up to the bottom edge of her bra, revealing dark red. I reciprocated with my own, sliding my shirt completely off my head as I watched her throw her shirt off, grasping at my wrists and bringing them to the sides of her chest. I blinked, slowly comprehending that she wanted me to take her bra off for her.

"…Ruby…," I breathed, looping an arm around her back and lifting her up. I faintly registered a giggle as I brought my other arm up, unclipping the article, feeling her shift her arms so as it slid off. I raised an eyebrow, looking at her succulent breasts, noticing that they had developed some more. They were more…what's the word…firm? Yeah, that sounds about right.

 _She's probably been walking around without a bra on._

"…They're so beautiful…," I breathed out, feeling my member strain against my pants. I groaned, reaching down to relieve the pressure, only to feel Ruby's hands already on my belt line, unbuttoning my pants and sliding them down, underwear and all. My member popped up, hard and twitching, as Ruby sighed with content, using her hands to cover her breasts. I could only see parts of her nipples, then got a full view as she moved her hands, albeit slowly, about to work her skirt and stockings off.

"Hold on, Rubes."

Ruby stopped, an eyebrow raised in confusion as I repositioned myself, squishing her breasts together and pushing my member between them. I was almost unprepared for their softness as I heard Ruby gasp in surprise. I looked down, staring at her breasts that were now squishing me.

No words were exchanged between us as I began rocking myself, feeling my dick slide between Ruby's breasts with relative ease, causing me to let out a small moan. It wasn't very often that I played with her body like this, but I guess this was a bit of an exception. After all, Ruby's the one that got me into the mood.

"Del…let me…."

I looked at Ruby, a bit surprised, but complied, pulling myself out and sitting back against the other arm rest. Ruby then proceeded to squeeze my member with her breasts, rubbing up and down along my length, causing me to sigh as she began humming. I furrowed my brow, trying to concentrate on the pleasure of her somewhat amateurish boob job, imagining how much better she must've gotten at her riding skills. I couldn't help but notice an involuntary twitch in my member just thinking about it.

"Hoooohh god, Ruby…," I sighed out, absolutely loving the feeling of her riding her breasts up and down my dick, feeling myself already begin to cum.

"Rubes, I'm about to…!"

"Do it," Ruby replied, lowering her mouth onto the head of my member as I choked out a moan, feeling myself cum. Ruby closed her eyes, drinking my seed as she continued rubbing, albeit not as intensely, trying to squeeze more cum out of me. However, it was in vain as I felt most of my pent up frustration leave my body, causing me to let out a sigh. I felt a bit of the tension I've been feeling lately begin to slip out of me as I slowly registered Ruby sliding on top of me, causing me to blink in confusion. My confusion was quickly answered as my member felt like it was being inserted into something warm and tight.

"Ah!? Hah…! Oh…wow…!"

Ruby hunched over me, somehow having gotten the lower portion of her clothing off in my small daze as I sighed again, loving the feeling of being inside of her after so long. She coiled all around me, tightening up as I lightly bucked my hips, trying to get off again, feeling the rest of my frustrations beginning to build up. Ruby complied to my relief, rocking her hips, then proceeding to riding me, her hands on my chest for support.

"Hah! Ah! Del, you—ah—feel so—ah—good—ah!"

Ruby's moans were quick to fill the shop as I continued riding me, the lovely friction filling our entire beings as the pleasure was almost unbearable. I almost had to gasp for another breath of air from the way her body towered over mine, her breasts bouncing up and down from her movement. She then leaned forward onto me, wrapping her arms around my back as she proceeded to grind our hips together, causing a little cum to leak out of my member.

"Ah…Ruby…," I breathed out, feeling her pull away from me a little, only to come back and kiss me. I tangled my fingers in her hair, our tongues playing with each other. Ruby's moans hummed against my lips as we pulled away yet again, our tongues still wrapped against the others as we closed the distance yet again, drool now making its way down our chins. I then felt her slide me onto my back as she pulled away, spreading her legs a little more. I looked at where we were connected feeling myself grow a little harder at the erotic sight as Ruby lifted herself off, then slammed herself back down, her hands immediately dropping to my stomach.

"Del…! Del…!"

"Hhooh god, Ruby," I moaned out, my hands gripping her hips as she began to ride me a little faster. I found myself bucking my hips against her thrusts, hearing her let out a delicious yelp of surprise. Immediately, I continued my assault on her, watching as her body came crashing down onto mine, her eyes scrunched in what I could only call concentration as she stuttered, "N-no! Ah! L-let—ah—me—hah!? Ah!"

 _Too bad._

I then rolled to my right, suddenly feeling our bodies go into a slight freefall, landing on the somewhat hard shop floor. But I paid no mind to it. Heck, not even Ruby complained about it.

"Ruby," I growled, my breathing ragged as I found myself on top of her. Ruby's small hip movement was the only friction between us, causing her to whimper in desire. I held still, simply appreciating her gazing at me with eyes in which I robbed of all innocence. Her teary, clouded eyes looked up at me. Almost pleading. Begging. Lusting.

"Delta," Ruby whimpered, "don't stop…!"

With a rasped sigh, I pulled back, then slammed into her, getting a yelp as I managed to push her forward some. I then repeated, pushing her forward some more as she whined, losing a little friction with every thrust. And eventually, I kept going to the point where I wasn't even inside of her anymore.

"Deeellll," Ruby whined.

I responded by hooking my arms around the backs of her knees, catching her by surprise as I lifted her up with a heave, letting my member naturally find its way into her slit. I could hear a gasp, then a gawk as my full length was now situating inside of her, causing me to sigh as I felt her cervix flex, opening some as my tip prodded into her womb. I then made my way over to her work table, leaning her onto her back. Ruby didn't seem to mind; she was still twitching and gawking in my grasp as I repositioned my hands to her hips.

"Grah…," I breathed, feeling her coils begin to tighten up ever so slowly. I then pulled my hips back, slamming back into her, receiving a scream as I prodded into her womb. Ruby immediately necked me, her screams now against my neck as I felt her coils tightening up even quicker. She was cumming.

"Del," Ruby half-moaned half-screamed, "Del! Del Del Del Del Del Del DeL! DEL! DEL!"

"Ruby…!"

And Ruby let out a scream, convulsing as her fluids coated my nether region. Her coils began tightening and constricting my member, causing me to feel my high coming. My member began to grow harder as Ruby's legs wrapped around my body, her nails clawing at my back as her womb kissed the tip of my dick, her cunt rippling all around me.

"Rrkk!"

I growled, pushing all the way into her as I unloaded all those months of pent up frustration into my fiancé. My member twitched with ever burst as my cum continued to pump into her womb, my body instinctively wanting to impregnate her. _I hope to god she's still on that birth control._

"Uuu! Ngh! Hnn!"

Our gasps filled the shop as the stream of semen finally came to a stop. However, Ruby's grip didn't falter. In fact, my member didn't soften up either. And before I knew it, Ruby was doing what I almost feared the most.

"C'mon…Del…," she whispered into my ear, "Cum…a lot more…and make me pregnant…!"

I should've stopped right then and there, but I didn't. In fact, I walked, still carrying her, right back to the couch and began rutting her once again. The thought of her carrying my child…I almost couldn't bear it.

"Ruby…," I growled, "Get ready…!"

"Yes…!"

"To be a mom…!"

"Yes!"

My instincts were now running amok. Subconsciously, a voice in the back of my head was screaming at me to stop. Screaming at me to remember that there were more serious matters at hand than making a family. Screaming at me that….

 _Oh, fuck it!_

"Oh god…! Hnnnh…uurrrrrgh!"

With that last groan, I pressed myself into my fiancé as hard as I could, feeling my cum explode from my member. I could feel my balls contract as my vision turned white. All I could see were visions of my future family as the feeling of pleasure shot throughout my groins, my extremities tingling. I could faintly feel Ruby's nails clawing at my back, barely catching her screaming in pleasure as her cunt milked me again, squeezing out every drop it could. I could feel something wet touch against my sack, barely hearing Ruby say something about overflowing. But I didn't care. I kept on thrusting, trying to draw out the feeling even longer, loving the feeling of Ruby's contracting tunnel combined with my thrusting.

But like all good things come, the feeling was gone.

I sighed, rolling onto my side, my vision coming back. I blinked, still seeing a couple stars as Ruby gasped and moaned next to me, trembling in her afterglow. I kept my eyes on her, our ragged breathing filling the air before I finally looked at the mess that was her cunt, seeing an absurd amount of my cum leaking out of her. I then turned back to her, seeing her now relaxed face staring back at me as she said, "I…finally…got you…."

"H-huh…?"

Ruby let out a weak giggle, straining herself so her body was pressed against mine. Her arms snaked around my body, her face digging into the crook of my neck as she snuggled herself comfortably around me. I complied, repeating the gesture to her as I reached out as far as I could, grabbing the closest thing that resembled a blanket as we both snuggled against each other. Ruby once again giggled weakly as she stated, "I…got you to…break…!"

I looked down at her, seeing a mess of dark red hair, feeling her grinning against my skin.

… _Oh, that's what she was doing. You little…._

With a sigh, I wrapped my arms tighter around her, our sweat coated bodies making our embrace a little uncomfortable. Now, without a doubt, I could say she wasn't going to get pregnant, which was a bit of a relief to me. I finally closed my eyes, hearing Ruby's soft breathing, enjoying her presence as I said, "…I love you, Ruby…."

"Mm…love you…too…."


	38. The Morning After

**...I won't lie to y'all; this chapter was a battle. Must be all the new anime taking my attention away from this story. And if any of you guys are seeing this chapter, that means I've decided to keep this story going. But it might seem a little rushed from here on in, so please enjoy.**

* * *

 **3rd POV**

* * *

"Mmm…," Ruby moaned, shifting ever so slightly. The warmth under what she assumed to be her blanket was so welcoming that she didn't bother opening her eyes to the blinding sun that was surely peering through her bedroom window. Her lips curled into a slight grin as she reached around, trying to find the other source of warmth that she had fallen asleep with the night before. However, when she reached out, she felt nothing. Furrowing her brow, she reached even further, trying to find her fiancé, only to reach the back rest of the couch. Her eyes opened a crack, her brow still furrowed in a bit of annoyance as she looked at the end of the couch, seeing Delta looking at his scroll.

With a smile, Ruby lifted her hoodie that, unbeknownst to her, they had used as a makeshift blanket as she crawled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Morning," Ruby cooed, only to be replied with silence. Blinking, Ruby glanced at him, seeing his face with a serious look on it. He didn't reply. He was too into whatever he was looking at on his scroll.

"Delta?"

Delta continued to ignore Ruby.

"Del?"

Ruby pushed him a bit, causing him to flinch and turn to her.

"O-oh! Morning Ruby!"

Ruby frowned, unimpressed, as she asked, "What's going on that you were staring at your scroll?"

Just like that, Delta's expression changed from a surprised look to a serious one. Ruby felt a sense of worry creeping up on her as he turned back to his scroll, a white speech bubble present on it. Ruby, with a slight groan and little pain shooting in her thighs, crawled over and looked at the communicator, seeing Qrow's name up on the top of the screen.

"'Found your teammate. Get to Beacon so we can talk,'" Delta stated as he closed his scroll.

* * *

"What's up, kid?"

Delta walked through the elevator door, Ruby close behind. Qrow, who was leaning against Ozpin's desk, closed his scroll, a surprising feat considering said man almost never answered it or sent out messages, then kicked himself to a proper standing position. Delta approached the desk, Ozpin looking down at his desk, seemingly at a conflict as to what to do. Ruby was quick to follow, only to get stopped by Qrow, who said, "Sorry Ruby, but could you leave?"

"Huh?"

Qrow then approached his niece, placing a hand on her shoulder as he stated, "This isn't something that you should be getting involved with."

"Qrow," Delta spoke up, catching the man's attention. Delta proceeded to turn around, about to open his mouth to speak, only for Ozpin to clear his throat, catching all of their attentions. All three turned to face the man, who glanced up and said, "Ruby, Qrow is right. May you please leave?"

"But-," Ruby began, only to see Delta holding the locket he gave her, causing her to look up and lock her eyes on his. Delta blinked, then pulled her into a hug, surprising both her and Qrow, the latter still unused to seeing his niece in a man's arms. Delta thought to himself for a moment, wondering why they didn't want Ruby being in the room with them as he said, "Sorry Rubes…I'll see you later…okay?"

"But-," Ruby began again, only to be shushed by Delta, who continued, "In the meantime, go finish making Alternate Echo for me, will ya?"

The young woman opened her mouth again, but then sighed as she pushed herself away from Delta and stated, "…fine."

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

I watched as Ruby promptly turned around and walked into the elevator, just barely catching Ruby's hurt expression as the doors shut. I felt my gut wrench slightly, but then recomposed myself as I turned to face Ozpin, who was now sternly looking at me. I felt a chill go down my spine as he said, "Now…I take it that you're wondering why you've been called here?"

"Qrow said he found Sierra," I replied, turning to Qrow, who began walking back over to Ozpin. I then heard the elevator door open behind me, causing me to turn around and see Glynda and James with Hotel and Lima, the latter with slightly red eyes. I felt my gut wrench again as she walked up to me, ears flapping sadly as she mustered up her best smile, the pain evident in her eyes. I then felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to turn and see Hotel shake his head. I grimaced, then turned my attention back over to the adults standing at Ozpin's desk. Qrow scoffed at the sight of General Ironwood, but then said, "Okay…so without further ado, let's get this thing over with."

"Per information from Qrow, it seems that Sierra is being held at a complex that's hidden near Atlas," Ozpin stated, catching us by surprise. Ironwood turned away for a moment, seemingly embarrassed or ashamed, but then mustered the courage to turn back to us. I glanced at him momentarily, then turned back to Ozpin, only for Qrow to say, "And good ol' Jimmy there didn't tell us about a little abandoned prison now, did you Ironwood?"

"Abandoned prison?"

"Damn right," Qrow continued, "hidden deep in the mountains. Jimmy here claims that-."

"Qrow," Ironwood interrupted, "I'll explain it to them."

I glanced at Ironwood with a raised eyebrow, growing somewhat annoyed as he stated, "A long time ago, after I became general, I made a prison to keep any prisoners. It was a maximum security prison that I had hoped we would be able to bring to use in the near future after we abandoned it, so it was never torn down."

"Oh sure," Qrow sarcastically remarked, "So we'd need to use some random prison in the middle of bumfuck nowhere just to keep a couple of bad guys."

"It was necessary," Ironwood replied.

"It was a joke," Qrow shot back, laughing at the general mockingly as he continued, "the security in that waste of building space was terrible enough, not to mention that you were only there for select moments when the guards didn't know what to do!"

"Qrow, that's enough," Ozpin finally interjected. Qrow and Ironwood glared at each other, then turned back to me. I, along with my two teammates, stood quietly as Ozpin then turned to Qrow, who in turn turned his attention to Ozpin as the older man stated, "This is going to be a rescue mission to bring back a comrade in arms. A dear friend."

 _A team leader._

"Yessir," I replied as Qrow then took another drink from his flask. Ironwood then made to speak, only to get cut off as I took notice of Lima's ears twitching from the corner of my eye. I turned to said partner, about to ask what was wrong before she herself turned to the elevator, looking at it quite…well…annoyed.

"What's up, partner?"

"…kids…," Lima replied, definitely annoyed as the elevator door opened, revealing Sakura, who gave a small flinch of surprise at the sight of Hotel, Lima, and I. I raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised as the girl immediately ran up to me. I could sense the obvious hurt, shock, disbelief, and a whole myriad of negative emotions in her eyes as she said, "Tell me it's not true…tell me my sister isn't…!"

"She's not dead, you know," Qrow stated behind me, "But she _is_ in pretty rough shape."

I looked at Sakura's team, then down to the girl who was literally on the verge of tears. I then glanced at Lima, who immediately comprehended the silent message, albeit somewhat slower than usual, and walked over, taking the girl from me in an attempt to comfort her as I turned back around, not really liking the idea of kids coming along to help. However, as I opened my mouth, Ozpin stated, "Do not worry, Sakura. Team SHLD will bring her back."

I proceeded to approach the girl, watching as Lima stepped aside, revealing that the girl was in a flat out cry-fest. I furrowed my brow, feeling somewhat uncomfortable as I reached my arms around her, receiving a gasp of surprise as I closed my eyes, taking notice of her slightly smaller frame compared to Sierra.

"Don't worry," I stated, "We're bringing her back."

"B…but…!"

"You have my word," I continued, "You'll know if this mission is successful if we come back alive or not."


	39. Arguments

**This was honestly a bit of a battle to write. I was totally lost at, like, the first sentence. The _first_ sentence. That's how hard it was to write this. But then I ended up making Ruby a little way too OOC'd here (maybe), so enjoy!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

"So did they find her?"

I glanced at Ruby, who was swinging her legs on her work bench. She still sported a disappointed look on her face, despite having finished my new sword sheath. Just the way I thought I would go down.

"Yeah," I replied as I walked over to a box I had set on the ground nearby. I could still feel Ruby's gaze on me as I picked up a box cutter and cut the tape, revealing two newly crafted swords. The infused dust blades gave a beautiful blue metal finish that, in my opinion, was quite beautiful.

I let out a sigh, smiling as I soaked in the view of my two new partners. I then proceeded to close my eyes, focusing my aura around my hands, into the dust, then into the swords themselves. I could feel, almost see, the entire structure of my new weapons; the mixture of metal, the strongest points, the weakest points, the individual specks of dust, everything. I needed to know; that was the strength of my semblance.

"Are those going to be for offense or defense?"

"More offense oriented," I replied, opening my eyes as I let go of the sword, keeping my palm open as it floated into the air. I could hear Ruby gasp in surprise as I did the same to the other, which I followed up with maneuvering them around my body. I couldn't help but grin as I reached over to the new belt design Ruby had been working diligently on. Unlike Alternate Echo, the belt has three different slots in which my swords could go into. Considering that I now had complete control over my weapons, I figured I no longer needed the "launching" ability that Alternate Echo possessed, even if it did come in handy in certain situations.

With a click, I then swung the two swords around to my back and sheathed them, smiling as they fitted in perfectly. I then reached my hand out and materialized one of my original swords, sheathing it as well. Right as I was about to summon my fourth, however, Ruby said, "Here."

I blinked and turned around, seeing Ruby holding my fourth.

"Oh," I replied, somewhat surprised, "Thanks."

As I reached for it, however, Ruby pulled it away from me. I blinked again, somewhat confused as I reached for it again. Once again, Ruby pulled it away. I went for it again, only for her to zip over to the other side of the shop. I turned around, seeing rose petals, then turned again, seeing another batch of petals on the ground. Raising an eyebrow, I looked towards the door, seeing it open just a crack, which prompted me to look outside. However, I was greeted with yet another cloud of petals, followed by the closing of a door, which caused me to look at the door to the shop again, seeing that it was now fully shut.

"Ruby…," I stated, somewhat growing annoyed as I synced myself to the sword she was holding.

To my surprise, she was pressed against the wall in the hall that led to her work area. I was about to just rip the sword out of her hands, only to see that she had a, what I could only describe as a sad expression on her face. I could feel my chest throb a bit as she looked up at me, her eyes seemingly on the verge of tears.

"Ruby…," I said, pulling her into a hug. I could hear clanging on the ground as she pushed herself away from me, catching me by surprise as she looked at me again, her brow furrowed as her eyes suddenly began to grow blurry. I blinked in surprise as she pursed her lips, obviously holding back from screaming at me. I opened my mouth to ask her what was wrong, only for her to beat me to the punch.

"Why…," she stated, her voice beginning to shake a bit. I blinked, confused as a tear streaked down her cheek. Ruby sniffed, her breathing beginning to grow a little ragged as she half-screamed, "Why do you always have to do the dangerous stuff!?"

 _Wha…?_

I was taken by surprise as she continued, "Why do you always have to do this kind of stuff!? All of the infiltrating and search and rescue!? Why does it have to be you!?"

"R-Ruby…," I stammered, taken aback at her sudden outburst.

"Why can't I ever go too!? If I can't go, why you!? Can't you just let someone else do it!? Why!?"

"Ruby, calm down-."

"I don't want you to go, Del! I won't let you!"

Suddenly, she lunged at me, effectively pushing me to the opposite side of the hall. I let out a small grunt as she dug her face in my chest. I opened my mouth to speak, only for her to cut me off once again as she yelled, "If you're going, then I'm going too!"

"R-Rubes, calm down!"

"No! I won't!"

"Ruby!"

"No! I'm not going to let you go unless I go with you!"

"But-!"

"No 'buts!' I'm going with you whether you like it or not!"

And just like that, I was at a loss of words. I blinked, feeling the gut wrenching feeling of hurting someone as her hot, ragged breath flowed through my shirt. I furrowed my brow, my arms trembling as I brought them around her body.

"Ruby…," I quietly stated, "I…you can't…."

"I'm going…with you…!"

My gut wrenched itself again. I couldn't find an answer. I didn't know what to tell her. I opened my mouth again and said, "Ruby…I can't…I can't let you."

"Why…?"

I felt a burst of adrenaline at the growl in her voice as she looked up at me, her brow furrowing again, tears still streaking down her cheek as she screamed, "It's because I'm a girl, isn't it!?"

"No!"

"It is, isn't it!? All because I'm a girl, you don't want me going with you! I'm your fiancé, Del! Why can't I!?"

I blinked, feeling anger begin to rise as I stated, "It's because we're engaged that I don't want you going, Ruby…."

"Is that it…?"

I furrowed my brow again, trying to keep my head as she asked, "Is it because you're scared I'll get hurt…?"

"Ruby…."

"How do you think I feel…?"

… _Oh, she isn't going there…._

"How do you think I feel, huh!?"

"Ruby, please…."

"How do you think I feel whenever you're out there!? Huh!? Do you know how much I worry about you!? I'm scared for you! I don't want to get that message! Or call! Or whatever happens when you lose someone you love!"

"Ruby…."

Ruby opened her mouth again, only to get cut off as I leaned forward and pushed my mouth against hers, catching her off guard. Ruby stiffened up, then began clawing at my back as I pushed my tongue forcibly into her mouth, feeling her stiffen even more. Her clawing slowly, but surely, began to lighten up as she began gripping my hair.

I pulled away to breath, hearing her begin to speak again, only for me to silence her again with another sloppy kiss, feeling her hands tighten up again, causing me to wince. But I didn't let up. I wasn't going to hear the end of it otherwise.

I pulled away again, our breath intermingling as she said, "Del, what-!?"

I pushed towards her again, feeling the same grip that caused me to wince once again. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

"Puah! Del, sto—mmph!"

I pulled away once again and looked her in the eyes, seeing that she was now somewhat reduced to the hot mess that I saw more often than none.

"Del, wai-!"

I leaned in again and took her lips, hearing her somewhat ragged breathing as her hands went slack.

"Fuu…," I exhaled, gazing into her now dazed eyes, face flushed red and breath ragged. I half-lidded my eyes, sadness and depression filling my system as I picked her up and walked her to the couch. As I sat down, I could feel her dig her face into my chest. I could feel my heart wrench itself out of place for the umpteenth time as she mumbled, "…don't go…!"

"…Rubes…," I muttered back as I began to stroke her hair. Sobs filled the shop for the rest of the day as I struggled with myself whether or not I should've taken this mission in the first place.

* * *

 **To Sierra (3rd POV)**

* * *

"Had enough?"

"…"

"C'mon. This can't be anything to you, can it!?"

*SMACK*

Her hands held bound by shackles chained to the ceiling, Sierra grit her teeth again as she held back another scream of pain. Her back felt like it was on fire as Scarlet held a whip firmly in her grasp. Tears were on the verge of falling out of her eyes as Scarlet raised her chin. Sierra's eyes met Scarlet's as the woman smirked and asked, "Had enough, yet?"

Again, Sierra remained silent, which prompted Scarlet to hit her temple with the whip's handle. The chains that held the young woman captive clinked against each other violently as Sierra felt her legs give out momentarily, her still injured shoulder spiking in intense pain, causing the her to let out an agonized groan. Scarlet raised an eyebrow in curiosity as Sierra scrambled back to her feet, gritting her teeth tightly as the pain in her shoulder intensified yet again, a tear making its way down her cheek.

"Fufufu," Scarlet chuckled, "You should stop fighting it, Sakuya."

Sierra simply growled and glared back up at the woman. Scarlet chuckled again and raised Sierra's chin with the whip, blue orbs meeting scarlet red. The eye contact was brief, but enough for a silent exchange of words between the two before the sound of the door opened behind them.

"That's enough, Scarlet," the woman from before stated. Scarlet turned back to face her and nodded, then turned back to Sierra, who looked away. Unshackling the young woman, Scarlet immediately caught Sierra, who immediately cringed at the shockingly soft embrace from the woman.

"…sorry…," Scarlet muttered.

"…whatever…," Sierra replied as she recomposed herself and pushed herself off. However, Scarlet then smacked the whip against Sierra's left leg, causing the young woman to immediately drop with a yelp. Sierra's eyes began to grow watery again as Scarlet wrapped the whip around her neck, catching the former off guard as the latter then said, "I'll walk her to her cell."

"That won't be necessary. I'll get Proto or Electra to-."

"I'll," Scarlet interjected, "do it, myself."

The woman, whose face was still shadowed, twitched a finger in slight annoyance, but then sighed and replied, "…very well, if you insist."

* * *

*Tap tap tap tap*

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Sakuya."

Sierra remained silent.

"…Sakuya."

Sierra glanced up slowly.

"Truly," Scarlet stated, "Sorry."

"…for what," Sierra asked, "kidnapping me and locking me up in this dump? Good for fucking you."

Scarlet suddenly stopped in her tracks. Sierra, unbeknownst to the woman's action, ran into her, catching both by surprise. Scarlet turned around to see a wide eye'd Sierra, who blinked twice, then turned away. The older woman chuckled, then pulled on the whip that was still wrapped around Sierra's neck ever so slightly, beckoning the younger woman to approach her.

Sierra, who had averted her gaze downward, felt something soft touch her forehead, which prompted her to look up just as Scarlet stated, "Someday."

"…"

"Maybe someday…I'll be able to do that without it being a secret."


	40. Preparation

**Holy hell, school is freaking wreaking me. Well, I'm back, y'all. Hope you didn't miss me too much. Lately, I've been finding it harder and harder to write these chapters. Some of which is because people state the obvious, and others because I'm going way off the main story it's driving me nuts. Oh well, guess that's why we call it fanfiction and AUs, right? Anyway, please enjoy.**

* * *

 **3rd POV**

* * *

"Yes, of course. And then you'll have to-."

Lima's ear perked. Hotel glanced at her, then at the elevator door that led to Ozpin's clock tower office. Delta, with bags under his eyes, walked through the door and stood side by side with Lima. Hotel raised an eyebrow in surprise, then turned back to Ironwood, who had been explaining the layout of the prison before Delta had arrived. Delta's condition surprised Qrow, to a point where the man began wondering how Ruby was taking the idea of this mission. However, the questioning would've had to happen later as Ironwood continued with his explanation.

"I trust you two can explain to him along the way?"

Hotel and Lima nodded.

"Good," Ironwood continued, "Our intel states that Sierra is being held somewhere on the ground floor. However, the cell in which she's being held in is close to a room that we had used as our main office area. There could possibly be some formidable enemies near it."

"Noted," Lima stated as she glanced at Delta, who stilled appeared a little dazed. She then glanced at Hotel, who nodded at her as Ironwood asked, "Any questions?"

"No sir," Hotel replied, glancing back at the General. Ironwood nodded, then turned to Ozpin and nodded again. Ozpin acknowledged him, then stood up and said, "Very well. This mission is a search and rescue to save the Huntress, Sierra Hawthorne."

He turned to Hotel and stated, "A comrade in arms."

Then to Lima and stated, "A leader."

Then to Delta and finished, "A dear friend."

Delta closed his eyes, still somewhat feeling guilty for leaving Ruby after such a, in their terms, titanic argument.

"Hey, kid."

Delta opened his eyes and took a glance at Qrow, who was now to his right. Qrow motioned his hand back to the elevator, prompting Delta to start heading toward it. Qrow then turned to Ozpin and stated, "I'm gonna borrow this one for a bit."

* * *

 **In the elevator (Delta's POV)**

* * *

"Okay, start talking 'cuz you're really pissing me off," Qrow immediately stated. I glanced at him, then turned away again. The man didn't seem to take my action very well as he gave a loud sigh and continued, "Look kid; there are going to be situations in your relationships. Especially with Ruby. It's part of the business. If you can't get over that, then you aren't suited to be a huntsman."

"I get it," I replied, albeit a bit more raspy than usual.

"No you don't," Qrow replied, "If you're going to be droopy headed like that, then call off your engagement with Ruby."

I immediately looked up at Qrow, feeling adrenaline spike through my system. I half-expected him to laugh it off as a joke, but the man kept his gaze serious. Almost to the point where it was intimidating.

"I'm serious," he continued, "If you don't want to live like this, then break up with my niece."

"B…but…," I said, only to get cut off as he continued, "Look. It was like this the first few weeks of Tai's marriage with Summer. But he got over it, so why shouldn't you? Besides; it's not like Ruby doesn't go out on her own jobs too, you know."

… _he_ _ **does**_ _have a point…._

"…Well…," I said, trying to think of something to say. Just then, the door opened. I glanced up as Qrow walked out and said, "I'm gonna go grab a drink. Oz still wants you up there, though."

I blink after him as the elevator door closes on me. The elevator rises again as I sigh and lean against the back wall, waiting for it to reach the top floor. During the wait, I began thinking of what I was going to say to Ruby since said fiancé hadn't talked to me since our fight.

All too quickly, however, the elevator door opened. I raised my head to look at the group that was still deep in planning. I see Lima turn to face me and motion for me to go over, meriting me to walk over as Ironwood closed up the projection.

"That'll conclude today's meeting," Ironwood stated, turning to me. I blink up at him as he sighs and turns to the other two, then to Ozpin. Said headmaster simply nodded as the man took his leave. I follow him with my eyes, then sigh and turn to my teammates. However, before I can say anything, Hotel blurts, "Don't bother; I'm not following those orders."

I turn to Lima, who soundly nods in agreement.

I blink in surprise and turn to Ozpin, who simply says, "You are huntsmen and a huntress. Whether you choose to follow James or not is your choice."

Hotel nods and turns away. Lima is quick to reciprocate. I turn as well, but stop as Ozpin says, "Hold on for a moment, Delta."

I turn to face him as my two teammates leave in the elevator.

"There's something I can only ask you to do…."

* * *

I turn the last corner to my apartment, making my way into the building and to my room. As I reach for my keys, I began thinking about what I was going to say to Ruby. However, once I opened my door, I was greeted to silence. I looked down at the floor mat, seeing only the floor, Ruby's boots absent from their usual spot. I blink, then take off my shoes as I close the door behind me, walking around my empty house.

"…Ruby…."

I walk over to my living room and sit down on the couch, feeling a sense of loneliness hit me like a freight train. I close my eyes and lay on the couch, holding my tears back as depression quickly takes its place. I begin to run worst case scenarios through my head, feeling a stray tear streak from the corner of my eye.

"…Ruby…!"

I suddenly feel something stroke my hair. I open my eyes and lift my head, seeing Ruby sitting next to me. I blink, wipe my eyes, then blink again as she sighs and says, "I went to the store…did you miss me?"

I quickly tackle her against the arm rest, wrapping my arms tightly around her.

"Ruby…! Ruby!"

"Del, what're you-?"

I quickly mash my lips to hers, catching her off guard. I pull away, then push against her again before she can speak. I pull away again, then push against her once more, feeling her grip my shoulders.

"Nn…nn…puah! Del, what're you-!?"

I quickly silence her once more, pulling her down with me.

When I finally let her go, she simply pins me between her trembling arms as she asks, "Wh…what was…that for…!?"

"I…I'm sorry," I reply, looking at her locket dangling down close to my face. I scrunch up my face and wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her down into a forced hug. Ruby gawks in surprise as I dig my face into the crook of her neck.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…!"

"Del, why-?"

"I'm sorry…! Please…don't leave…!"

I feel Ruby tense up, then relax as her arms hook around my shoulders in a warm hug. I open my eyes, my cheeks soaked with tears as she hums, then says, "Don't worry, Del. I'll never leave you."

Ruby pulls away and stares at me, her eyes apologetic as she continues, "I'm…sorry I overreacted over this. But I love you, Del. I'll always love you. So don't think I'll ever leave you."

Ruby leans down to kiss me again, which I gladly accept. I feel her fingers wipe my tears away as she pulls away. I open my eyes to look up at her, a reassuring smile covering her face as I release her from my death grip of a hug. I avert my gaze as we both get up, trying not to look her in the eyes. I feel her lean against my shoulder, laying her head against the crook of my neck as she says, "…just don't die, okay?"

"…I never planned on it," I reply as she gets off of me. I turn to face her, then watch as she wraps her arms around my shoulders. I blink as she kisses me again, slowly closing my eyes as I instinctively push her back onto the couch. I hear her giggle in our kiss as we quickly involve our tongues. I quickly explore her mouth as she does the same with me, our tongues playing with each other before I pull away, both of us gasping for air. Ruby's pale face was deep red, her blush complimenting her hair as I leaned down again and kissed her.

"Mm…Del…," Ruby moaned, her arms wrapping around my back. I could feel her hands grip my shirt tightly as I pull away again, opening my eyes to see her eyes closed. Her lips were opened slightly in an "O" as she slowly opened her eyes, her blush making her extremely sexy.

"Delta…," Ruby coos out, pulling me back down to her. I immediately return to the kiss as I involve my tongue again, reaching down to her skirt. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

 **Over to Sierra... (3rd POV)**

* * *

Sierra held up a dish tray, annoyed as Scarlet continued speaking with the woman with the woman from earlier. Now that she could see her clearly, she could see that the woman wore a red single piece dress with shorts underneath. She could tell the woman was powerful. There was something about her aura that made Sierra shiver.

Scarlet let out a sigh as she turned around to face Sierra.

"C'mon, let's go," Scarlet stated, dragging Sierra by her collar.

Sierra gawked, dropping the dish tray as she was suddenly dragged out the room and down the hall. After regaining her footing, Scarlet released her and stopped. Sierra raised an eyebrow in confusion as Scarlet immediately stated, "Don't get involved with that woman."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"She's dangerous," Scarlet continued, turning to face Sierra, "She's too dangerous for you."

"Pfft…sure…," Sierra scoffed, only to get flicked in the forehead by the older woman. With a flinch, Sierra glanced back up at Scarlet, who was less than impressed. The latter then let out a sigh and turned around to pat the former's head and said, "Cinder Fall…is not someone to be taken lightly. Be careful around her."

* * *

 **Huge shoutout to SGSComputerGeek (or JoeTheFanficWriter...I don't know) for incorporating Team SHLD into his story, _The Love of a Rose_! I recommend y'all check it out...even if my inner Delta is a bit jealous. Anyway, until next time y'all.**


	41. Sneaking and Entering

**You know, that last review really does have a point. So much to the point where I almost want to...never mind. We'll get to that when the time comes. So enjoy, and I'll see y'all later.**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

I wince, then open my eyes to the faint sunlight peeking through my blinds. I blink, then glance to my right, seeing Ruby sleeping peacefully next to me. I blink again, then sigh a smile, kissing her forehead.

"…I'm sorry."

I press my forehead against hers.

"You deserve better than me."

Ruby let out a faint moan as I frowned. I could feel tears begin to rise as I subtly begin to tighten my grip on her.

"…Bye."

I quietly get out of bed, hoping that she wouldn't wake up until after I left.

* * *

I sigh, meeting up with Lima at the airport, who immediately comes over to do her usual greeting. I give her a sad smile, catching her attention. However, before she can say anything, her ears perk, causing me to turn around and spot Hotel walking up to us. Said man brought nothing but his weapons as he motioned toward a quieter part of the building, where a couple Atlas soldiers were waiting for us. I nod at them, receiving a salute from both of them as my teammates followed suit, heading for the chopper that was present.

"Hey, kid."

I turn to Qrow, who was leaned up against a wall.

"I'm expecting all of you to make it back."

I blink, then nod, feeling a little guilty as my teammates walk past me and to the chopper. I reach my hand out to Qrow, catching him by surprise. I struggle to maintain my composure as he takes it right as I say, "…take care of her…please."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll tell you when I get back."

 _Whenever that is._

* * *

"You guys only have 24 hours to go in, get her, and get out! Any longer and you guys are on your own!"

I turn to the chopper pilot and nod as Hotel opens the door. I proceed to jump out of the open door, feeling the cold rush of air hit my face as draw my sword, which was more designed as a katana. I jam it into the side of a cliff, slowing down my progress as I reach out and grab Lima, who causes us to slide down a bit more than I had anticipated. I look around to find Hotel, spotting him already beginning to climb up. I glance down at Lima, who gives me a nod, then back up at the edge of the cliff. I strain, then groan as I throw her up, watching as she grabbed onto the ledge and pulled herself up. I hear another click as one of my swords readies itself. I draw it, then jam it into the rock, dragging myself up onto the ledge. Lima reaches out for me, which I gladly take her hand and get pulled up as Hotel joins her, getting me up with ease.

Lima's ears perk around, then finally come to a stop as she looks to her left. I glance that way as well and spot a building of sorts in the distance. Barbed wire fences surround it with watch towers that had their spot lights turned off, most likely to keep from any Atlesian air force fighters from thinking anything suspicious of the place. I turn to my teammates, Lima who nods, then to Hotel, who grips his Gae Bolg Replicant with anticipation.

"…We all ready?"

"You call the shots," Hotel states.

"…Roger…," Lima mutters.

I sigh, then turn back to the building.

"Let's go."

I run to the side of one of the towers, keeping my wits about me as I look around the corner. I motion for Lima and Hotel to follow, hearing them come sliding to a stop behind me as I scan the area for an opening. I bring my head back and turn to Lima, who's eyes were closed.

"Got anything, partner?"

Lima's eyes open, seemingly glowing, as she looks up. I follow her gaze, seeing a light flash around at the top. I look back down at her, hearing her growling. I scoff, only guessing it was White Fang members. _That must mean that Adam's here._

I begin feeling excitement course through my veins as Hotel points his Replicant at me. I look down at it, taking the silent exchange as I reach around Lima and grab it, closing my eye as I memorized its shape, texture, and feel, then slide it through the chainlink in the fence, grabbing Lima's hand, who in turn grabs Hotel's shoulder. I close my eyes, memorizing the weapon I my hand. I feel my body disappear, then reappear in nanoseconds as I open my eyes, my hand gripping the folded Replicant as Hotel walks up next to me. I hand the weapon to him as Lima glances around, keeping an eye out as we make a run for the building.

As we reach the building, I take notice of the door being conveniently opened. I immediately draw my sword as a White Fang member appears from behind the door, seemingly flinching as I tackle him to the ground. His partner flinches in surprise as well, but gets tackled by Hotel before he could alert anyone. I quickly hit my man with the hilt of my sword as Hotel simply slugs the man in the temple, effectively knocking him out as well. I shake my head at Hotel as Lima scans left, then right, then puts her Dual Bow away. I look at Hotel, who nods back at me and begins dragging his man to a dark corner. I follow suit, stacking him on top of the other.

I then turn to Lima and whisper, "…Can you find her?"

Lima closes her eyes, focusing on our surroundings and beyond. I look at my new katana, absolutely loving the weight, tempted to see it split into two, but think against it as Lima's ears perk. I turn to her, watching her bring a hand up, pointing down a hall. I turn to Hotel and nod, about to take off again before she says, "Two…three…four…."

I turn back to her as she says, "Four targets, inbound."

"Let them pass," I breath out, watching as four White Fang faunus appear, talking amongst themselves. I grip my katana tighter as their footsteps continue to get closer, my heart beginning to race. I close my eyes, then feel a hand touch my chest as Lima whispers, "Easy…easy…."

I slowly release my breath from my nose as the voices walk past us. I release my sigh of relief as Hotel peaks around me, then up and down the hall. He then turns back to Lima, who walks past him and points to her left. I nod, then begin running, suddenly seeing Lima fly past me as she slows down, then turns a corner. I follow her, barely keeping up as she stops at a door, raising her hand up. I slide to a stop, followed by Hotel, as she opens the door, looks around, then motions for us to follow. I turn to Hotel, who unfolds his Replicant, ready in case we end up fighting. I then turn back to Lima, who slips through the door, then gives us a thumbs up from behind the door.

* * *

 **Sierra (3rd POV)**

* * *

Sierra sighs, walking back into her cell. Scarlet scoffs, watching her younger sister's somewhat depressing mood. The latter then sighs and pulls out a wrapped package of sorts, saying, "…get your chin up. Here, take this."

Sierra turns around, annoyed, only to get the package thrown at her, catching her off guard. Scarlet glances away, taking a breath as she leans against the door, closing it shut. Sierra blinks, confused as the older woman turns her back to the door and mumbles, "…I enjoyed out time together…."

"What?"

"Nothing," Scarlet sighs, "I'll miss you, Sakuya."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Just a hunch," Scarlet replies before she begins to walk away.

Sierra raises an eyebrow in confusion, then looks back at the package. With a sigh, she sits down on the makeshift bed and opens the package, seeing, to her surprise, her knife strap, a key, and her clothes. She blinks in disbelief, rubs her eyes, then blinks again before picking up her knife strap.

"What…the…?"

Sierra put the strap and key to the side and pulls out her clothing, letting out another sigh, this time of relief as she begins changing into her old clothing, which have been cleaned. She then turns to her knife strap, putting it on her leg, then looks at the key curiously.

"…Why did she…?"

However, Sierra decides not to question it as she slips it into her pocket, lying down in the bed uncomfortably. She then stares out the window, watching as the moon slowly makes its way up.

"…Guys…Lima…Hotel…Delta…I miss you guys…."


	42. Close Call

**How's it going? Feels like it's been a while since I've updated, so here's the next chapter. Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

I glance around a corner, spotting two guards standing at the end of the hall, causing me to move back to my team and shake my head. Lima's ears perked around, her eyes closed again as she scanned our surroundings. Hotel, meanwhile, kept his attention to our rear, making sure we weren't going to get ambushed from behind. I raise my hand, petting Lima's head as I pull out a mask I had snatched from one of the White Fang members we had beaten up earlier, putting it over her face.

"…Can you do it?"

Lima's eyes opened, her eyes seemingly glowing from behind the eye slits as she nodded. I then handed her one of the knives that Sierra had given us so long ago, then said, "Get close to them…I'll zip in right behind you."

Lima nodded again, then began slowly walking toward the two. I could only imagine what was going on as her footsteps quietly echoed through the hall. One of the guards spoke up, making a remark about her that made me less than impressed, before she audibly stated, "Sleep well."

I immediately traced the knife, teleporting to her and nailing one of the guards with the butt of my sword handle. The man let out a yelp of surprise before Hotel came charging down the hall, catching him off guard. Before the White Fang member could react, however, Lima pulled out her axe and smacked him with the butt of the axe blade, effectively knocking him out.

Hotel slowly came to a stop, disappointed at Lima, who had lifted the mask off of her face, just barely peeking out from under it. I give her a pat on the back as Hotel loots the two guards, pulling out keys of some sort. I raise an eyebrow in curiosity as he says, "Probably gonna come in handy later."

"Agreed," I replied, swinging my sword around onto my back. I then took notice of Lima's ears perking wildly, causing me to look at her, her eyes closed once more. She then raised a hand, pointing out two fingers, slowly moving it to where Hotel had just charged from.

"…Great job, Hotel," I said to the man, seeing him groan and reposition his stance. I raised an eyebrow, confused at his gesture before he raised his own hand and stated, "I'll keep these guys busy. You two go."

"What? What're you doing? We need to stick together," I tried reasoning. Hotel, however, lowered his hand and released his Replicant, holding his ground. I scoffed and walked up to him and said, "C'mon, Hotel. I know you're tough, but think logically!"

The man, however, refused to budge.

"Hotel."

Same response.

"Hotel!"

"Delta," Lima suddenly said, "three targets."

I scoffed again, then sighed as I stepped forward. Hotel glanced at me and opened his mouth to speak, only for me to shut him up by drawing my sword. I sighed, then said, "Look…Sierra wouldn't let you do anything like this alone, so I'm gonna stay here right with you."

I was about to draw my second sword, only to get caught off guard as Lima suddenly yanked my sword away from me. I turned around, about to question her before she put the mask back on. I raised an eyebrow, then caught on and raised my hands. I tapped Hotel's arm, getting his attention this time, knowing he was probably going to yell at me. However, he remained silent, then sighed as he gave Lima his Replicant. I dropped to my knees, putting my hands behind my head. Hotel did the same as the three White Fang members approached us.

"Oho! What do we have here?"

Lima glanced up and replied, "Intruders."

"We can see that."

They stepped closer, causing me to look up at Lima, who, to my surprise, looked like she was glaring at me.

 _Lima?_

I glanced back, only to get smacked in the face by the butt of a plasma rifle.

 _Lima, what're you doing?_

"Don't glance back at me, you damn human!"

 _Lima, c'mon!_

I tried looking back up at Lima, who was still simply looking down at me as the cold barrel of the rifle pressed against my head.

 _What the fuck, Lima!_

"Lima…!"

I closed my eyes, hearing Hotel let out a grunt of pain as he hit the ground as well. I then glance up to the Faunus holding me down, seeing him reach for a scroll in his belt. I then look back to Lima, who continued looking down at me. I widen my eyes, afraid that she was just gonna let us die. Maybe someone had…no, it wasn't possible.

Lima let out a sigh, then walked up next to me, causing me to hold my breath. However, she put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look at her as she suddenly grabbed the barrel of the rifle and shoved the butt into the man's chest, catching him off guard. She suddenly turned her attention to the next Faunus, whacking him in the cheek, then pulled out her axe and gave the first a chop to the forehead with the butt of the blade. A sickening "SMACK" filled the air as the members' mask exploded on impact, his head hitting the ground hard as his eyes turned white. I shuddered, glancing back at him, then at Lima, who simply turned back to me and lifted her mask, her eyes staring ominously at me.

"L…Li…ma…?"

My partner then ripped the mask off of her face, shaking her head as she threw the mask away. I blinked, surprised and confused as Hotel stood up and slugged the second Faunus in the temple, knocking him out as well. Lima kept her eyes closed, her ears perking wildly, seemingly in confusion. I walk up to her and put a hand her shoulder.

"Lima? You alright?"

Said partner simply nodded, then looked at me, her brow furrowed in worry.

"Del…ta?"

"Huh? What?"

I look at her, even more confused as she shakes her head even more, then looks at me and says, "…no, it's nothing."

I blink again at her, then furrow my brow.

"…You sure?"

Lima nods, then opens the door we were going to go through before we were spotted.

* * *

 **Over to Sierra (3rd POV)**

* * *

Sierra let out a sigh, hearing the guard begin making his rounds. She had come to find out that, it wasn't so much as to look at the prisoners, if there even were any; it was more because said guard was bored. It didn't really surprise her that the guard was a member of the White Fang, who would spit at her every now and then.

Lying in bed, she expected said guard to begin cussing her out. However, to her surprise, the man stopped, then tapped on her cell door. Glancing at the door, she could see the white Grimm mask peeking through the peep hole.

"Hey, you."

Sierra took her gaze away from the door, staring back at the ceiling.

"Hey."

Sierra closed her eyes, ignoring the Faunus.

"Hey! You look at me when I talk to you, human!"

Sierra let out a scoff, then stood up and walked over to the door. The Faunus visibly flinched as she hit the door hard enough to make a loud "BANG," then, in a menacing tone, asked, "What the fuck do you want?"

The man flinched again, the recomposed himself and asked, "Where'd you get the weapon?"

Sierra blinked, then remembered that Scarlet had given her knife strap back to her. She then proceeded to look down at her leg, the strap glistening in the now moonlit room, then back at the guard and replied, "…I don't think that matters now, does it?"

"Why you little…!"

Suddenly, he looked downward and began fumbling for something. Sierra rolled her eyes, as he turned toward what she thought was the keyhole, then heard something click. Looking back at the door, she reeled her arm back as it suddenly slid open with the Faunus walking in.

"You're gonna give that to me you little-."

Sierra then lunged forward, her fist meeting his nose. The man went flying to the opposite side of the hall, hitting the wall rather hard as Sierra walked out after him, waving the sting in her hand off. The man then reached up for his nose, blood trickling out, then looked back at her and got back to his feet and half-yelled, "You damn bitch!"

Sierra simply took a step to the side and raised her knee, causing the man to take a knee to the gut. Sierra sighed again as she gave him a chop to the neck, knocking him out, then grabbed him and threw him into the cell, closing the door shut. She then took the key out of the key slot and twirled it around her finger, comparing it to the key that Scarlet had given her, coming to the conclusion that they were meant for two different doors. She then glanced back at the Fanus, still unconscious on the floor, and said, "Look. Nothing against Faunus, but you guys should do things that aren't violent to gain recognition. Thanks for letting me out by the way."

With that, she began whistling, twirling the key on her right pointer finger as she began walking down the hall.

* * *

 **I'm honestly half tempted to make this series a trilogy...**


	43. Strange Actions

**Hey guys! Volume 4 is finally out! Woohoo! Anyway, I guess I'm gonna keep riding this story out cuz...well...I've got some really good stuff planned. Unfortunately, this chapter's gonna probably get at you grammar nazis cuz I basically half-assed the second half of it. Meh. Hope y'all enjoy, and I'll see you all later.**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

"Lima."

"…"

"Lima."

"…"

"Lima."

Lima looked like she let out a sigh, then turned to me, a little annoyed.

"What happened back there?"

Lima simply blinked at me, then replied, "…got lost in the moment."

"What? How?"

My partner remained silent, opting to continue leading us on. I blink, then turn to Hotel, who shrugs. I turn back, letting out a sigh of my own, watching her turn a corner. I turn the corner as well, followed by Hotel, as Lima began leading us down a dark corridor. I raise an eyebrow, confused as said partner turned another corner.

"Lima, do you know where to find Sierra?"

Lima remained silent, causing me to grow a little worried. I look at Hotel again, getting the same reply, then turn back to Lima, who's obviously not paying attention to us. I look around, then turn back to Lima, who continues paying little attention to us. I stop walking, wanting to test a theory as I stick an arm out at Hotel, who stops as well and looks at me, confused. I turn to him and raise a finger to my lips, then turn back to see Lima turn another corner, seemingly unaware that we had stopped following her. I turn back to Hotel, who appears visibly stunned that she had just left us, then back to where Lima had turned the corner.

 _Come back Lima._

I don't even blink. I keep my eyes on the corner.

 _C'mon, partner. Come back._

I feel the intensity begin to rise as footsteps sound from behind us. I grit my teeth, holding my nerve as Hotel begins to grow a little agitated.

 _Lima…._

I narrow my gaze, preparing myself for a fight.

"LIMA!"

My voice echoes through the halls.

The footsteps stop.

Hotel's eyes widen at my sudden outburst.

I grip my sword, prepared to fight as I turn around, the footsteps beginning to speed up. I spit to the side, giving up as I take a step back. I sense Hotel try to stop me, but I ignore him and charge at the pursuers, seemingly just around the corner.

However, before I can make much progress, I feel something yank me, causing me to gawk as I get dragged along on the ground, my sword scraping along the ground as we suddenly turn the corner that Lima had turned. I then feel my sword get pried from my grip, then a strong grip wrap around my neck in a supposed sleeper hold as footsteps run past us. I struggle for air, then feel the grip relax, causing me to turn to see Hotel, a look of disappointment on his face. I shake my head, then look at the person holding my sword, Lima, who's glaring at me. I walk up to her and take my sword back, then slap her, catching Hotel off guard. Lima blinks, then looks at me and blinks again, slowly reaching up to caress her cheek.

"The hell's wrong with you? You're not your usual self," I scoff as I sheath my sword. Lima blinks again, seemingly in disbelief at what I had just done. I narrow my gaze at her, disappointed, then sigh as I walk up and pull her into a hug. I can feel her stiffen in surprise, then relax. I raise a hand to stroke her hair, trying to understand the strangeness in her behavior.

Lima's ears droop a little as I say, "We're here to save Sierra. Not kill any White Fang members we see. C'mon partner, you know I'm better than that."

Said partner simply nods as I let her go, then look down at her.

"Are you uncomfortable with this mission?"

Lima averts her gaze and nods very lightly. I sigh and turn to Hotel, who blinks at me, then turns his head back down hall that I had been dragged down from. I turn back to Lima, who keeps her ears folded, probably in shame, causing me to stroke her ears a little, the softness soothing me a little. I crack a small smile and tell her, "You didn't have to come you know."

"No," she replies, looking up at me, "She's…our leader. I have to do this, too."

"If you see it that way…," I finally let her go, then turn back to Hotel, who's vision is fixed solely down the hall. Immediately, Lima's ears perk, catching my attention as she slowly walks up to our other teammate, putting a hand on his arm. Hotel turns to her, somewhat caught off guard, causing me to laugh a little before I walk up to them, going to the other side of him. Hotel turns to face me ask I ask, "What's got your attention?"

"Just thought I heard something," Hotel replies, turning back down the hall. I lean forward to look at Lima, who leans with me as well, shrugging. She reciprocates my action as Hotel sighs, then turns our heads around and says, "It's just me being overly cautious. Now c'mon, let's go."

* * *

 **3rd POV**

* * *

Sierra continued walking around, twirling the keys on her finger and whistling. There was the occasional odd Huntsman here and there, but she, for whatever reason, didn't feel obligated to help them out considering they were basically brain dead or insane. She turned another corner, then came to an intersection. She looked left, then right, then left again, before deciding to continue walking straight. It didn't feel like she had been walking around for long; the occasional insane huntsman would wolf whistle or try to coax her into going into their cell. She would just chuckle to herself, ignoring them as she continued searching for a way out. The fact that there was an occasional window looking outside was a good thing; she was still on the ground floor.

As she came toward the end of the hall she had picked, she saw a door. Blinking, she walked up to it and gripped the knob, turning it slowly. Quietly pushing it open, she poked her head around the door, glancing around. However, she quickly spotted two White Fang members, who appeared to be walking toward her. She slowly slipped back behind the door, sighing as she closed it as quietly as she could. She could hear faint shouting, causing her to slowly reel back a clenched fist.

The door swung open, prompting her to throw her punch at the first White Fang member, causing him to bend backwards and hit the ground. Sierra then followed up with a kick to the next member's knee, causing it to buckle. She immediately followed up with a jumping knee, squarely hitting his mask, causing it to break as he fell backwards, gripping the bridge of his nose.

"A question for you."

The Faunus man looked up at Sierra, only to see a knife to his throat as she stared down at him menacingly.

"Where's the exit?"

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I felt like that was a good spot to end it.**


	44. Caught Red-handed

**Okay, next chapter's up. I honestly can't get over Ruby's (or Weiss's for that matter) new look. Though I find it hilarious that her humor hasn't slipped. Anyway, kinda rushed, but for good reason because the plans I have for this story...well...it's gonna be good. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

I run up to the next corner, peeking around it, then wave the other two up. I could hear the light tapping of their feet, followed by Lima taking point and running along. I follow suit, followed by Hotel, as she turns and stops at a door. I blink, stopping with her as she opens it, hearing someone shouting for help. I blink, relaxing as the man continued shouting, probably trying to get the attention of anybody that walked past. I slowly began making my way toward him, followed by Lima and Hotel, cautious as the man's shouting began growing more desperate.

When we reach the source of the voice, a White Fang member suddenly begins cussing me out from behind bars. I blink, holding back my laughter as the man begins yelling nonsense at me, claiming that a prisoner had thrown him in there and walked off. I turn to my teammates, who both shrug, causing me to reach between the bars and grab him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him toward the bars.

"This prisoner of yours…describe them to me."

The faunus man remained suddenly went silent. I continue staring into his mask, narrowing my eyes as seconds suddenly felt like minutes. I begin to tense up as I draw my sword and slip it between the bars, holding the blade to the man's neck. I tighten my grip on his shirt, keeping him still as he begins to panic.

"Are you gonna answer me or not?"

"Alright! Alright! She has silver hair! That's all I can remember!"

"Works for me," I reply, then push him back a little, keeping my grip on his shirt. I watch as he mentally lets out a sigh of relief, feeling a little sorry for doing what I was about to do. I quietly mutter my apologies, then yank him back toward the bars, nailing one of them squarely in the middle of his face, dazing him a little. I then jump to the side as Hotel punches between the bars, squarely hitting him in the face, effectively knocking him out as Lima closes her eyes and takes in a sniff. I sheath my sword and turn to her, watching as she begins walking around the hall, trying to find any leads. I then turn to Hotel, who flexes his hand and shakes it a little, disapproving of his method of knocking people out. I chuckle lightly, but then get interrupted as Lima suddenly stops. I raise an eyebrow and walk up to her, curious as the intervals between sniffs became shorter. She suddenly ran straight back to the door we had entered through, sniffing the door knob. I turn back to Hotel, who nods at me, then run up after her as she turns to me and says, "…It's her."

"Alright partner," I put a hand on her shoulder, "Lead the way."

Lima nods, then opens the door as she goes to work. I turn back to Hotel, who immediately draws his weapon, extending it into spear mode. I quickly do the same with my sword, drawing it and looking it over. I then look back at Lima, who is just as quickly down the hall, causing me to gawk a little and run after her.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, over to Sierra... (3rd POV)**

* * *

Sierra began making her way toward the nearest exit, having received the information she wanted. Fortunately, she hadn't run into any White Fang members. Unfortunately, activity seemingly began to increase, causing her to raise her guard, fearing that they had discovered her escape.

As she opened another door, she immediately spotted what appeared to be a White Fang member getting up, his helmet, for whatever reason, cracked open. He let out a groan and shook his head, holding it like he had a massive headache. Unfortunately, his consciousness was short lived as Sierra quickly ran over and punted his head, knocking him out again.

"Oh, poor guy," Sierra said to herself, then turned to see another one, this one with his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Sierra walked over and knelt down to him, putting a finger to his neck. She then let out a sigh of relief, feeling a pulse in his neck, then continued on her way once more.

* * *

 **Back over to the infiltrating crew... (still 3rd POV)**

* * *

Lima dashed from wall to wall, keeping a quiet profile as she continued leading the way. Her senses began to go into overdrive as Sierra's scent gradually began growing stronger. She turned another corner, but then ran into something, catching her off guard. Once she regained her senses, she looked up, only to see a menacingly large White Fang member looking down at her.

"Huh? I didn't know there were civilians in here," the faunus stated. Lima blinked, then looked out the corner of her eye, seeing Delta skid to a stop and reach a hand out to Hotel, who stopped as well. They both pressed themselves against the wall in an attempt to hide as she turned back to the White Fang faunus, seeing him walk up to her.

"Unless you're a recruit. But where's your uniform?"

The faunus reached out and grabbed her arm, causing her to wince as he dragged her and turned down a hall that she wasn't going to take.

"You need to get your suit on, little missy," the faunus man said to her again. Lima glanced back, seeing the guys follow along and peek behind a corner.

Delta looked at the faunus man drag his partner down the hall then turned back to Hotel, who immediately nodded. Delta then looked down at his sword, focusing his aura into the blade. Immediately, a smaller katana, about a third of the length of the main sword, popped out. The handle, reminiscent of his original swords, flipped out of their folded positions just as he reached out and caught it, memorizing the shape and weight of it. He then stepped away from the corner and, with a heave, threw the sword at Lima and the faunus man dragging her, hitting the man square in the back of his head.

The man immediately let go of Lima, reaching up to grasp the back of his head. Lima immediately took a step back, then jumped forward and drop kicked the man, running him into the ground. Delta then traced himself to his sword, appearing over the man just as he attempted to get up, dropping an axe-chop of his sword at him, the sound of aura getting loudly smacked filling the air as the man was effectively knocked out.

Letting out a quiet whistle, Delta folded his smaller sword's handle and reattached it to his main sword, then hiked it onto his shoulder, turning around to face Lima, who raised a fist. He smiled at her, then reached up to fist bump her, only to feel something hit him hard in the back. Lima pulled her fist back and reached out to catch him, seeing a girl that looked strangely similar to Herald Gale, pointing what appeared to be a pistol at them.

"When I heard that there was someone creeping around the prison, I thought it was Scarlet's good for nothing little sister. But to think I'd find these little nosy rats…," the girl stated, a smirk on her face as she began giggling almost uncontrollably. Lima narrowed her gaze, gritting her teeth as Delta recomposed himself, turning to face the girl. The girl immediately perked in surprise, squealing excitedly as she said, "Oh, you're that Huntsman from Vale!"

"And—ngh—what of it?"

Delta lowered his profile, widening his base and getting into a more battle oriented stance.

"Get to Hotel," he whispered, "Do it now."

Lima immediately took off back toward Hotel.

"Hey, you don't get to leave!"

However, right as the girl pulled the trigger, Delta's sword knocked the pistol upward, causing the bullet to go into the ceiling as he proceeded do a spin slash to her stomach, knocking her back a little. He then released one of his smaller swords and kicked it back to Hotel and Lima, the former catching it as the latter began running down the opposite hallway. The girl quickly recovered, running forward and turning her pistol into a dagger, motioning for a stab. Delta simply side stepped, then ran his blade over her ribs, causing her to yelp in pain as he followed through with his light stroke. The girl hissed in pain as Delta turned around, raising his sword at her again.

The girl giggled, groaning a little as she gripped her ribs, smirking at Delta as she raised her dagger.

"You're better than I thought!"

Delta chuckled, then stuck his hand out to the side, catching her by surprise.

"Sorry to break it to you," he stated, "but I've gotta go."

"Huh?"

"Later," Delta said to her, then materialized himself back to the sword that Hotel was holding, catching the man off guard as Delta found himself skidding to a stop. The two stopped as Delta folded the sword's handle, then pushed it back in place in his main sword as Hotel asked, "When did you come up with that thing?"

"Not sure," Delta replied, "It just kinda…came up."

"Huh…interesting," Hotel said in curiosity, looking at the sword as Delta hiked it back onto his shoulder. Delta turned to look at Lima, who was looking back at them. Lima then turned away closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling as her ears perked upwards.

"Got her again?"

"Yes," Lima replied, looking back down a random hall.

"Mission's already compromised, so why don't we cut loose?"

Delta turned to face Hotel, who nodded in agreement. However, they were both cut off as Lima immediately said, "Keep quiet. Don't compromise more than we already have."

Immediately, Hotel sighed in disappointment. Delta simply rolled his eyes, a smile on his face as he said, "Whatever you say, partner."


	45. Reunion

**Hiya guys, how's it going? If you're wondering how I've been doing, simply put, school's wrecking me right now lol. It's all good though; I'm getting by. Anyway, this one's been done for a while, just I haven't had the time nor motivation to upload it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **To Sierra (3rd POV**

* * *

Footsteps coursed through the empty halls as Sierra dashed from hiding spot to hiding spot. Activity had increased a lot, causing her to begin wondering if the White Fang had discovered that she had gone missing. She raised her guard, keeping alert off her surroundings as another group of faunus ran past her. She jumped for a group of crates as the number of faunus steadily began rising, sighing as another group ran past her.

"…Surprised?"

Sierra jumped, then turned to see Scarlet sitting on a crate next to her, holding up what appeared to be a book.

"And here I was hoping I could read in peace," Scarlet sighed, then folded up her book and turned her gaze to Sierra. Sierra blinked, wide eyed in surprise as the woman patted the spot next to her and said, "C'mon; sit down and relax. They aren't looking for you."

"They aren't?"

"Nope," Scarlet replied, pulling out a scroll and continued, "Apparently, the building's getting infiltrated by two humans and a faunus."

"'Two humans and a faunus?'"

"Yeah," Scarlet replied, opening a random window in her scroll.

Sierra blinked, confused for a moment, then began running the descriptions through her head. She began thinking hard, running several scenarios through her head from a portion of Team RWBY to a group of random huntsman, or even Ironwood's soldiers. Scarlet, seemingly catching on to her thought process, shuddered and winced her face in disgust. Seirra glanced at the woman, a look of confusion on her face as Scarlet stated, "What makes you think Ironwood would send his troops in for one huntress?"

Sierra shrugged, then began thinking again. With Team RWBY already crossed out, along with the random group of soldiers, the last group of people caused Sierra's breath to hitch, piquing Scarlet's attention. The woman smirked and said, "Now you're getting it."

"B…but…why?"

"How should I know? I'm just supposed to be here doing my job," Scarlet sighed, getting off the crate. Sierra blinked, her mind stuck on the rest of Team SHLD as Scalet said, "I'm not gonna capture you again. There's no point. However, your team is in a bit of jeopardy if they can't locate you soon."

"Then where are they? You must know where they are if you know they're here," Sierra asked. Scarlet turned around to face the younger woman, simply shaking her head. Sierra raised an eyebrow in mild annoyance and confusion as Scarlet sighed, then muttered, "…I'm supposed to be your enemy, remember?"

"What?"

"Nothing," Scarlet sighed again, "How should I know? I was notified of it before I began reading. Besides, not like I'd be interested in stopping them."

Siera furrowed her brow, confused at Scarlet's actions as the latter said, "Now then, I'd better get going. Don't do anything rash."

"What?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes, then tucked the book under her arm and walked away from Sierra. Sierra blinked in confusion, then let out a sigh, taking a seat on the crate again. She waited for the commotion to calm down, then said, "Hey, Lima, over here."

* * *

 **To the rest of the team... (Delta's POV)**

* * *

Lima's ear flickered, catching my attention as my partner began jerking her head left, then right.

"What's up?"

Lima stopped for a moment, closing her eyes, then opened them back up and dashed down a random hall. I looked back at Hotel, shrugging, then ran after her, the latter teammate running close behind. Lima made a sharp right, but then skidded to a stop and ran back to us, ducking behind the corner, causing me to stop just before I reached her. Hotel skidded to a stop next to me as she peeked around, then turned back to me and raised a finger to her lips. I nodded, then turned back to Hotel, who nodded as well. Lima sighed, then walked into the hall, prompting me to take her spot and peek around to see what she was doing, gripping my sword in excitement.

Lima walked up to a White Fang member, who appeared to be panicked, then placed a hand on their shoulder. I watched as the member flinched, then slowly turned around as Lima cocked her head to the side. I guessed that she must've said something to said member as they immediately dropped to their knees and began bowing, seemingly in a pleading fashion. I raised an eyebrow as she looked back at me, then motioned a finger for me to go over to her. I obliged, walking over as Hotel kept the rear in check.

"What's up?"

"He's giving up."

"What?"

I looked at the White Fangsman, who immediately clapped his hands together and said, "I have a family! Please!"

I looked back to Lima, who shrugged. I then turned back to Hotel, who was keeping his attention to our rear from the corner. I turned back to Lima, then sighed and said, "Let's find Sierra first before we make any decisions, alright?"

Lima nodded, then turned back and explained our situation. The man seemingly had no idea what we were talking about, annoying me a little as I waved to Hotel, catching his attention. I motioned for him to join us, then turned back to Lima, who had just turned her attention back to locating our leader. Her ears perked several minutes later, in which she immediately dashed back down the hall, catching the White Fangman by surprise. I then pulled him up to his feet by the collar of his shirt and said, "Keep your mouth shut, and pretend you never saw us. Got it?"

* * *

 **Back to Sierra... (3rd POV)**

* * *

Sierra stayed on the crate, steadily growing impatient as group after group of White Fangsmen walked past the crates she hid behind. If there was _this_ much activity, she figured, then she must've been close to the exit. However, she wasn't just going to leave her team.

"C'mon Lima, more time wasted, less time getting away," Sierra stated again, making sure no White Fangsmen had heard her.

It felt like it had been an hour that she had been waiting since she initially spoke up. Closing her eyes, she began focusing on the selective gibberish that the White Fang members were talking about, mostly questioning what they were doing there, and others about their families. Sierra sighed, listening in on one conversation in particular, hearing how one male member didn't even want to be there because he had just gotten married.

" _Marriage…,"_ Sierra thought to herself, looking up at the boring stone ceiling.

"…Echo…," she said to herself, her mind wandering to how her fiancé was doing.

As the minutes continued passing, several more groups walked past her again before a commotion caught her attention. She blinked, curious as a scream, followed by a loud breaking of wood filled the air. Lowering her gaze, she raised a hand and put her chin in her palm, wondering if a random squad had began bickering with another. The thought made her chuckle a bit as she randomly remembered her team's fiascos with Team MGNM and SWRD. However, the sound of gunshots killed her thought process as she lowered her head, plasma bullets destroying one of the crates around her.

Furrowing her brow, Sierra then heard at least two groups of White Fangsmen appear, followed by gunshots, then screams and groans of pain. Raising an eyebrow, she was half-tempted to peek out of her hiding spot before a sword came flying in, landing right in front of her. She stared at it, taking note of the strange katana-like shape, the saw it dematerialize as another scream filled the air. Just then, a still conscious White Fangsman flopped onto the crate she was hiding behind, prompting her to look up at him. The faunus groaned, then looked at her, surprised as she said, "Oh, hello."

Sierra proceeded to grab his hood, yanking him downward as she landed a haymaker to his face, then flipped him into another crate next to her. She then heard another crate fall over, prompting her to turn and see Lima, the wolf faunus wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Sierra smiled, then braced herself for impact as Lima tackled her out of her hiding spot, skidding across the ground. She laughed, rubbing Lima's head, watching the faunus girl's ears wag happily as Delta yelled, "Okay, if you two are done now, let's get the fuck outta here!"


	46. Running Free

**I'm gonna apologize right now if this chapter seems rushed. I haven't really had a "spark" to make a, persay, _amazing_ chapter lately. Mostly because I was just asked to design a couple characters for a guy who wants to start a manga, even though I basically have nothing to go off of. Meh. Enjoy this chapter, y'all. Love you guys, and I hope y'all continue going on this journey with Team SHLD!**

* * *

Wave after wave of White Fangsmen came after us. I scoffed, knocking yet another out as Sierra, who seemed to know where she was going, turned another corner. We followed suit, with me taking up the rear as Hotel charged ahead, splitting a wall of appeared to be riflemen. Sierra then followed up drop kick, followed by Lima who slammed one in the stomach with her axe. Not one to disappoint, I straightened my sword out, taking out another White Fangsman with a trust of my sword, shattering his aura as I pinned him to the ground. I then jumped off of him, kicking over a random stack of crates as we continued on our way.

Sierra ran out from a corner, then skidded to a stop and ran back to the corner, catching us by surprise as the sound of a chainsaw turning on filled the hall.

"Just my fucking luck," Sierra cussed, then turned to Hotel and said, "He's all yours, Hotel."

"Roger that," Hotel replied, smirking as he charged out. The hall quickly filled with the sound of grinding metal, then loud smacks, then the sound of skidding. I peeked around the hall, then followed the now unconscious White Fang member skid against the ground face first, wincing as he hit the wall with some force. I then turned back to Hotel, who spun his spear around his body, then hiked it onto his shoulder, causing me to sigh and facepalm myself as Sierra said, "Okay, that's enough from you, showoff."

Hotel turned back to us and shrugged, waiting for us as Sierra led me and Lima out from the corner. Hotel relaxed his stance, lowering his spear and holding it behind his back as Sierra pat his back and said, "You've still got it."

"Damn right, I still got it," Hotel snorted as we began moving again. Lima immediately ran forward, taking point as I took up the rear, tightening my grip on my sword. I shot a glance behind us, then turned around and motioned an "all clear," receiving a nod from Sierra, who tapped Lima's back. Lima then took off, us reciprocating, as she quickly came screeching to a stop at another intersection, turning back to Sierra.

Sierra slowed down a bit, her boots scraping against the ground as she turned right, us following close behind.

Just as quickly, Sierra came to a stop. We followed suit, pressing up against the wall as Sierra raised a hand and walked up to a door. I then turned Lima, who raised one finger and pointed at the door. Turning back to Sierra, I watched as she began mouthing, "3…2…1…."

The door swung open as Sierra jumped to the side. I charged forward from my spot at the wall, tackling a White Fangsman and stabbing my sword through one of his shoulders. Immediately, Sierra jumped in front of me and kicked the poor guy in the face, knocking him out immediately as I pulled my sword from his shoulder, furrowing my brow in disgust as I looked at the bloody tip and said, "Jeez, I didn't think I'd actually penetrate…."

"Don't worry about it; something like that won't kill him," Sierra replied, going down to the White Fangsman and putting a hand on his head as she said, "My apologies."

Lima walked over next and looked at her fellow faunus, her ears drooping a little as she kneeled and caressed the wound. Hotel kept watch as I looked up, a sense of unease filling my being. I looked around, my instincts beginning to run amok as I turned back to Hotel, seeing him perk a little. I then turned back to Sierra, who had just stood up, then to Lima, who was still preoccupied with the wound.

"Lima," I called, catching her attention. Immediately, her ears perked as she stood up, looking around as Hotel jumped over to us, his spear in hand. I turned back to Hotel, going back to back with him as Sierra braced herself, scooting closer to Lima. Lima continued glancing around, seemingly confused, then turned to our rear and said, "There!"

At that very moment, the hall behind us exploded, catching all of us off guard as the area was fogged by dust. I moved to Hotel's side, sword raised as Lima squinted, assumingly to focus her sight on our target. There was the ominous sound of a machine moving, then a red laser moving about in the dust as I heard Lima gasp and say, "Paladin!"

I heard Sierra scoff, then felt her hand grab my shoulder a she said, "Go! Go!"

I tapped Hotel immediately as the dust cleared away, both of us following the girls as they took off down the hall.

A loud beeping filled the air as the sound of crumbling stone, as well as the sound of hydraulics pumping, followed close behind us. I didn't dare take a glance behind us, knowing all too well that the Paladin was giving chase. The girls suddenly took a hard left, causing me to slide and reach out to grab Hotel's hand, swinging him as he did the same to me at the corner. I quickly spotted the girls again, who had glanced back at us to see if we had caught up, motioning for them to keep running. The intersection exploded, catching me and Hotel by surprise as we began running again, the Paladin keeping pace.

I quickly began running ideas and scenarios through my head, quickly coming up with an idea. I released one of the two smaller swords from my main sword's blade, synchronizing with it and floating it around me. I could sense Hotel's quick look of confusion as swung the blade around my body, sling shooting it past the girls and into the wall at the end of the hall. I then grabbed Hotel's shoulder, tracing the sword to where it was stuck in the end wall, reconnecting it with my main sword as I let go of Hotel, lowering my stance. I raised my sword with the blade up, narrowing my gaze as the girls quickly came into view. I could see Sierra's eyes widen in surprise as I charged forward, yelling out as focused my aura around my arms and into my sword, small particles of dust glowing in the blade, illuminating it blue. I then spotted the Paladin, close behind and still charging headstrong toward me. I proceeded to jump, stabbing my sword forward, nailing its arm that it had raised to defend itself. Immediately, I pulled it out, running up its arm before it slammed it into the wall. I then stopped at the shoulder, looking at where I could only assume the cockpit was, raising my sword to slash down.

Just then, the other hand grabbed me, catching me by surprise as it slammed me into the other wall. I slammed my eyes shut, biting back a scream of pain as the Paladin threw me down onto the ground. I gasped for air, then looked up to see the machine's foot raised above me, causing me to roll out of the way as it slammed down, leaving a small crater. I then reeled back my sword, slashing forward and hitting the leg, then immediately turned and hit the back side, managing to hit the joint, causing it to buckle down as I made a diagonal slash downward, leaving a nice mark on its body.

However, right as I made for another slash, I felt something yank me back as Sierra came flying in to kick the cockpit in, knocking the machine onto its back as I looked to see Hotel holding me back. I then turned to Sierra, who simply turned to me and said, "Don't jeopardize our escape, dumbass!"

I rolled my eyes, then began running again as the Paladin struggled to get back to its feet.

It wasn't long before we came across a door with a window on it, leading outside. The sun was just rising as the compound buzzed with life. Criminals, mercenaries, and White Fangsmen ran about in what appeared to be a mad chaos. Sierra turned back to me, then looked at Lima, then Hotel. I blinked, confused at what her motive was as the sound of the Paladin powering back up filled the hall. I glanced backwards, then turned back to Sierra, who stated, "Hey guys, we've come this far. I can tell you guys didn't come here to die, so let's get home, eh?"

I nodded, as did Lima and Hotel as Sierra kicked the door open. All action seemed to freeze as Sierra said, "I'm not sure how long it'll last, but…!"

Sierra grunted, then yelled as a circle similar to Weiss' glyphs, but with a clock face, appeared behind her, then dissipated as the area turned grey. All movement, talking, and time stopped as Sierra said, "Ten seconds! Let's go!"

I immediately dashed for the fence, followed by the others as we cleared the distance in five seconds. Just before we reached it, I raised my sword, bringing it over my shoulder and behind my back as Sierra unfroze time. With a yell, I cut through the fence, flying through as the rest of my team reciprocated. The area quickly turned grey again as we quickly made our way into the mountain side, hoping we could lose any pursuers quickly.


	47. Rough Riding

**Almost...done...must...keep...clawing...!**

 **Thanks for coming back, y'all. I'm almost done with this semester of class, so I might (I said _might_ ) be able to update more. So here's 47 for ya, and I'll catch you all later. ENJOY!**

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"This is Delta. We have Sierra, and are ready for evac. Location is…"

I gave our location over the scroll as Sierra dropped to the ground, exhausted. I shot a glance at her as Lima approached and sat down next to her, putting her head onto Sierra's shoulder. Sierra smiled and began to pet her, saying, "I missed you too, Lima."

I then glanced over to Hotel, watching him lean against a rock as he said, "Good to have you back, Sierra."

"What," Sierra replied with a smirk, "missed me?"

"Of course. Which one of us do you think didn't?"

Sierra proceeded to laugh, then turn to me, catching my attention as she then asked, "How's Echo?"

"Almost got into a fist fight with him, but he's been doing fine for the most part," I replied, pulling out my sword to see if it got any knicks. I could sense Sierra's gaze on my new sword, causing me to look back at her as she again asked, "When did you get _that_?"

"Just before we came to get you. A little heavier than I'd like, to be honest, but once I get the two smaller ones out of it, it's pretty light."

"Two?"

"Oh, right," I focused my aura into the sword, popping two smaller swords out of it, catching everyone by surprise as I synchronized with them and floated them around before stopping them just over my left shoulder. Lima's ears flickered with curiosity as I sent them back around and popped them back into my main sword, putting the latter into its carry strap on my back.

"Still a work in progress, really," I explained, "I'm trying to get used to synching with three swords at the same time, while using this one in my hands."

"That just sounds like it's too much," Hotel stated in surprise. I shrugged, then turned around, looking at the sun beginning its rise. I then felt a hand touch my shoulder, causing me to turn and see Lima smiling up at me. I smile back and sat down, pulling out my scroll. I then brought up Ruby's contact info, hovering my finger over the "call" button, reluctant to hit it. I averted my gaze from the scroll, then closed my eyes, hitting it and putting it to my ear. The dialing sound comes out of the speaker, followed by ringing. I felt my heartbeat begin to race as my mind began running through worst case scenarios.

*click*

" _Delta?"_

"Hi, Ruby."

" _Hi! Where've you been!?"_

"Haha, about that…."

I turn around and look at Sierra, then go back to the sunrise.

"I…uhh…went on Sierra's rescue mission."

" _What? And you didn't wait for me to get my team together?"_

"I'm…sorry. We had to leave quickly, so I couldn't wait."

I go on to bicker with her, listening to how she couldn't wait to see me again, or how much she missed me. I smile, the burning sensation in my chest soothing my being as the sounds of whirling blades soon filled the air. I glance up, seeing a Bullhead flying toward us.

"Okay, I've gotta go."

" _Aww…really?"_

"Yeah."

A couple minutes of silence ensues.

"…Hey, Ruby?"

" _What's up, Del?"_

"…I'm sorry."

" _Huh? What for?"_

"I…can't say for now. But I'm sorry."

" _Let's talk about it when you get back, okay?"_

"…Sure."

" _I love you, Del!"_

"I…love you to, Ruby."

I smile and pull the device away from my ear, looking at Ruby's picture. I began to feel tears well up as the Bullhead landed, an Atlas soldier opening the door on the side. I immediately began walking toward it, turning to glance at Lima. She gave me a smile, causing me to smile back as Hotel hopped into the craft. I then turned back to Sierra, who looked back at me expectantly. I gave a smile to her and motioned for her to go in ahead of me. Sierra proceeded to raise an eyebrow in surprise, then hesitantly began walking past me, shooting me a confused look. However, she then stopped and asked, "…Is something wrong?"

My smile quickly disappeared as I blinked at her, then closed my eyes and smiled. I then opened my eyes, looking at her feet as I replied, "…no."

Sierra kept her eyes on me for a couple minutes, then sighed and put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at her as she said, "It's not good if you have something on your mind, D."

"Well…it's…I'll tell you later," I replied, sighing as she pulled me into the aircraft. The soldier then closed the door, the Bullhead lifting off and quickly gaining altitude. I looked around, looking at my teammates as they caught up with each other, telling new jokes, and talking about what Sierra went through.

"And then Scarlet put me in a maid outfit."

 _Whoa…okay…?_

I smiled to myself and leaned back into the chair, trying to get comfortable.

However, barely an hour into the flight, the sound of beeping filled the area we were sitting in. I immediately flinched in surprise, getting up and holding onto the side of the craft as we suddenly veered right, throwing Sierra and Lima over toward me and Hotel. I reached out an arm, catching Lima before she hit the wall, as did Hotel to Sierra as one of the pilots yelled, "Grimm incoming!"

"What the hell!?" Sierra yelled, then grit her teeth as the Bullhead stabilized. I watched as she staggered over to one of the doors, pulling it open. I staggered over as well, wincing at the air rushing in and spotting what appeared to be a pack of Nevermores, all flying alongside the craft. We were then suddenly pulled out of the craft as it made a hard turn, another Nevermore having taken a charge at the ship. I immediately flipped around in midair, seeing the ship trying to turn to us, then pulled out my sword, turning back around and spotting another Nevermore flying straight for me.

Rotating my body, I narrowly avoided getting eaten, then stuck my sword into its neck, the blade sliding down to where its wing joint was. I then stuck a hand out, feeling Sierra pull us even further down its back, Grimm blood flying down as the Nevermore let out a cry of pain. It then began flying crazily, trying to throw us off as I looked back at the Bullhead, seeing it steer closer to us. I could also barely see Lima with her eye in the scope of her axe-now-turned-rifle, shooting away to keep the Grimm at bay. I then turned to Sierra and yelled, "any ideas, leader!?"

"Incoming Grimm!"

I looked to the side and spotted another Nevermore making another charge for our transport ship. I then turned back to Sierra, seeing her trying to keep her balance as she began running toward the tip of our current Nevermore's wing. I immediately clicked with it, detaching one of my small swords, floating it over my left shoulder and running after her. I then grabbed it and threw it at the incoming Grimm, nailing it in the eye and changing its course. I watched Sierra jump off the wing, swinging her arms and legs as she narrowly caught the tip of the wing, pulling her way along with the feathers. I jumped off after her, synchronizing with my sword and teleporting to it again, the blade getting caught in the skull shell on its head. I then hiked my main sword onto my shoulder and pulled the smaller sword out of its eye, Grimm blood spraying out as I turned to Sierra, who jumped off onto another Nevermore. I then turned back to the flight path of my current Nevermore, seeing it slowly swerving out of the way of the Bullhead. I then floated my second sword again, focusing straight on Lima, who's eyes met mine as I focused my aura and fired the sword at her.

I watched as she leaned to her right and raised her hand, catching the sword, the momentum spinning her away from the door. I wince a little, imagining her hitting one of the sides of the craft rather roughly, then open my eyes to see Hotel come flying out of the ship next, spear in hand as he stabbed into the skull of yet another Nevermore. I couldn't help but slap myself as I focused on the sword that I assumed was still in Lima's hand, teleporting to it, holding the handle of the sword just over Lima's hand. I held back a laugh as she spun her head, obviously dizzy.

"Sorry about that, partner," I called out, then went back over to the door, quickly locating Sierra hopping onto the same Nevermore as Hotel. I rolled my eyes as the Grimm slowly descended, then jumped back out, bringing my sword over my shoulder. I began speeding up as I straightened out my body, focusing my aura into my sword. I narrowed my eyes, the stinging wind pressing against my face as I approached the Grimm.

With a shout, I swung my sword, cutting clean through the Nevermore's neck, spinning so my back was to the ground as I looked up to see my work. The Grimm's head began falling in another direction as the body slowly began dipping downward. I could then see two dots jump off the body, then dive toward me as I reached my hand out. Sierra's and Hotel's hand both touched either side of me as I focused on Lima, feeling my body disappear, then reappear with me holding my partner's shoulder. I then heard Sierra and Hotel let out grunts as their feet hit the floor of the craft rather hard. I turned back to face the two slowly, then let out a laugh as I took my hand off of Lima's shoulder to run it through my hair, saying, "that was...fun."


	48. Back Home

**...Okay. I may...or may not...have half-assed this chapter. To be honest, this one's more of just a "feels" chapter, you know? Or funny. I dunno. You guys decide. I still have an interesting idea that I wanna try, so keep your heads in this story, cuz it's not quite done yet. Anyway, thanks for hanging with me, and enjoy!**

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 **Delta's POV**

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The Bullhead slowly came to a landing at one of the landing pads at Beacon Academy.

I watched as Sierra stood up and walked over to the door, one of the pilots coming over to open it as she hopped out. I watched as Hotel followed, then Lima, before I finally went after them, my feet hitting the landing pad as Ozpin approached us and stuck his hand out to Sierra.

"Glad to see you're alright," he stated, Sierra reaching out to grasp his hand.

"Thank you, sir," Sierra replied, a smile gracing her face.

I couldn't help but smile as well as they spoke for a couple minutes. Sierra then turned back around to us and walked back over, clapping her hands together as she then said, "Well…anyone up for a drink?"

* * *

I walked into my dad's tavern, people chattering happily amongst each other as I quickly spotted Echo sitting at the bar, sipping away at his shot glasses. I then looked up to see my dad, eyes wide at the sight of me before I raised a finger to my lips to shush him. I then motioned behind me, Sierra sneaking in as he nodded in understanding, then went on to give Echo another shot. The rest of the team entered after her as I approached my cousin from behind and took a seat next to him.

"How's it going?"

I could see Echo flinch, then turn to me in surprise, only to be disappointed as he sighed and said, "It's been a while, cuzzo."

"Well, I was busy," I replied, a grin slowly gracing my face. Echo turned back to me, raising an eyebrow in annoyance as my grin slowly widened. He then narrowed his eyes and asked, "…what's with the grin, huh?"

"Oh…nothing in particular," I replied as he let out a sigh and turned back to the bar, taking in another shot. Just then, Sierra slipped onto the seat next to him, then said, "Get me the usual, Al."

I kept my attention on Echo's reaction as he set the shot down, then asked, "Are you new around here? Al never has anyone who gets 'the usual.'"

 _Oh my…smooth, cuzzo._

"Well, considering that I don't seem to be missed, I'll just leave if you want me to, love," Sierra replied as dad filled up a glass of her usual drink. Just then, Echo seemed to pause. His eyes shot wide awake from his depressed mood, causing me to hold back my laughter as he immediately turned to Sierra, who had just finished downing her drink. She then set the glass down and turned to him, a smile on her face as she asked, "So…miss me?"

Out of whim, I reached out and grabbed his collar, feeling him yank me out of my chair as he hit the ground as well. The people in the tavern all turned to us, then turned back to their activities as I got up and began laughing. Echo was quick to stand up and try to hug her again, only for her to stick a hand out to his chest. Lima and Hotel then joined me as Sierra put a finger up to his lip and smiled up at him, saying, "Easy, love."

"S…Sierra…!"

"Yep," Sierra chuckled, then looped her arms around his neck and began going up to his face. I turned away, a smile of happiness on my face as they kissed. I then patted Hotel's shoulder, then Lima's, then began heading out.

"Delta!"

I stopped, then turned around to see my dad nodding at me. I nodded back, then left the tavern, taking in a deep breath.

"Hey, kid."

I glanced up, seeing Qrow's familiar form leaning against a light post. I blinked, then approached him, seeing him taking a gulp of whatever it was that was in his canister. He then raised the canister to me and said, "Good job on that job."

"Thanks."

"I imagine you're gonna go home now, eh?"

"Well…."

I scratched the back of my head, unsure of my next course of action. I could sense Qrow's concern over me, hearing him sigh and put a hand on my shoulder. I look back up at him as he says, "Look; you were just on a stressful mission. Go relax for a bit."

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Qrow continued, placing a hand on my shoulder. I blinked, looking up at him in confusion. He then proceeded to walk past me, saying, "Don't neglect your time with your loved ones. You never know when you'll…run out of time."

 _Huh?_

I continue to watch him as he goes into dad's tavern. I blink again, then feel my scroll begin vibrating. I pull it out and look at it, seeing a message from Ruby, asking if I was gonna be home soon. I chuckle to myself and begin walking home, my scroll vibrating regularly all the way back.

* * *

As soon as I reached the door, it swung open and I was tackled to the opposite railing, knocking the wind out of me. Quickly, I regained my senses and looked into the glowing silver orbs of my fiancé, excited and relieved to see me. I opened my mouth to speak, but then felt her lips shut me up, causing me to smile and wrap my arms around her waist. I felt a burning sensation well up in my chest as she pulled away too soon for my liking, a smile on her face as she said, "Welcome back, Del!"

"I'm back…Rubes," I replied, kissing her forehead and getting up to my feet. I then felt her drag me back into my apartment, hearing the door close behind me as she held me in a tight hug. I blinked, surprised, but then returned the embrace, looking at the dining table. The table itself was still unspectacular, but with Ruby's fresh bakeries littering it, it was a welcome sight.

"Delta."

"Yes, Ruby?"

"I love you."

I blinked, my heart skipping a beat as a smile came across my face again.

"I love you too, Ruby."

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but I hope y'all did enjoy. I'll try to update soon cuz this is about to get real good.**


	49. Stress Relief

**...Okay...the grammer here is probably going to be REALLY weird compared to how I usually write. But I guess I can use this as a bit of an experiment...? Meh. I'll let you guys decide if you like it like this or like how I usually write. This chap is all in Delta's POV btw. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **...oops. Almost forgot this.**

 **LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT LEMON ALERT**

* * *

I wake up, immediately noticing Ruby crushing my left arm. I look at her and smile, carefully sliding out from under her. I then sit on the edge of my bed, sighing as I run a hand through my hair, then feel something snake over my shoulder and around my chest. I glance to my right and see Ruby's face on my right shoulder, looking at me sleepily.

"Morning Del."

"Morning, Rubes."

I smile at her, then raise a hand to grasp hers. I close my eyes, loving her embrace as she sits up next to me, dragging the blanket with her to cover her nearly naked form. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer to me, then look at her expectantly. Her smile then turns into a blank expression as she blinks at me, almost confused as I smile and let go of her hand, placing a hand just underneath her belly button. She gasps, then sighs happily as I look up at her.

"…It's your safe day, isn't it?"

"Ehe…hehe…," Ruby giggles nervously, scratching the back of her head as she averts her gaze. I chuckle and kiss her cheek, pushing her down onto the bed. I pin her between my arms as I soften my gaze a little, then lean down to her ear and whisper, "As much as I want to have a kid, I don't think we're quite ready yet, love."

"I know," Ruby sighs out, then looks up at me, disappointed. I push myself off of her, pulling her up with me as I stand up and stretch, lazily pulling up some loose clothing and heading out of the room. I sense Ruby close behind as I walk into the bathroom, waiting for her. She simply smiles at me as she walks in after me, closing the door behind her as I start the shower up. And just as quickly as I got my clothes on, I took them off, watching Ruby slip off her lazy clothing as well. I begin feeling turned on as she slides her tank, then her pj bottoms off, not having bothered slipping on some underwear. I hop into the shower and pull her in with me, soaking in the warm droplets as she clasps her hands on my cheeks. I blink, feeling my heart rate increase as I lean down toward her face, pressing my lips against hers.

Ruby presses her body up against mine, causing me to crack my eyes a little as she loops her arms around my neck. I answer by wrapping my arms around her waist, deepening the kiss as I push my tongue into her mouth, pressing my hips against hers. My member slowly begins hardening as I release my grip on her, opting to play with her well-developed breasts. I hear her gasp as I gently caress them, then begin massaging them, kneading them away, then toward each other.

Ruby's breath begins growing hard, ever so slightly, as I quickly stop playing with her breasts, sliding my hands down her sides, then down to her butt, which I grab and grope. I hear her gasp, causing me to grin as I reposition my arms so I can grab her core, causing her to let out a small whimper. I simply rub her, kissing her again as I push her against the wall.

As I pull away, I feel her hands grip my wrist, causing me to look down and see her pull my hand away from her crotch. I raise an eyebrow and look at her, seeing a desperate look in her eyes as I smile and press my forehead against hers. We exchange silent words as she turns around and sticks her ass out to me, wiggling it from side to side. I grip her hips and line my cock up against her pussy lips, slowly pushing into her. I hear a whimper come from her as I push all the way into her, pushing her breasts against the cold wall. I hear her gasp at the cold sensation, then reach up to turn her face to mine for a kiss.

As I begin rocking back and forth, I hear her whimper turn into quiet moans as I gently push in and pull out. I can't help but sigh as I feel her familiar coils wrap around me, almost as if it were saying that it missed my presence inside of her. I open my eyes a little, seeing her looking back at me, lust in her eyes as she begins pushing against me. I take the message quickly as I begin pounding into her harder, her quiet moans becoming more audible.

I keep up the same motion for what seems like hours, finally coming to a stop as I grind my hips against her ass, prodding at her womb. I immediately feel her legs buckle from under her, causing me to loop an arm around her waist, helping her stay upright. I pull her upright, kissing her ear as I pull out of her unintentionally, receiving a whimper of disagreement.

Turning her around again, I push her up against the wall again, raising a leg as I push into her again, both of us moaning as I begin thrusting into her again.

"Ah…! Hah…Del…ta...," Ruby moans, her fingers interlocking with each other behind my neck. I look at her, her eyes closed as her focus seemed to be stuck on our having sex. Or was it making love at this point? Regardless, I soon felt my high coming almost too soon as I instinctively began thrusting into her harder. Ruby's moans gradually began growing louder as I slipped my hand between us, fondling with her clit.

A yelp echoed in the bathroom as she suddenly pulled me in to neck her, her brow furrowed in concentration as I began slowing my thrusts down, making my strokes more powerful.

"God…Ruby…!"

"Cum…inside…!"

I grunt, releasing my cum inside of her, getting another yelp of surprise from her as I pinch her clit, feeling her begin coiling around me. I feel her body convulse against mine, her legs buckling again as I hold her tightly, keeping her up as I continue pumping my semen deep inside of her.

After what feels like an eternity, I slip out, limp, but satisfied as I look at Ruby, still trying to catch her breath. When she eventually does, she smiles at me somewhat weakly, but satisfied as well.

Our shower concludes after that.

I walk over to the couch and plop down, Ruby following right after me. I close my eyes, feeling her lean on me, her head resting on my shoulder as silence ensued in my little apartment. Ruby began humming a little song, causing me to open my eyes. I slowly reach a hand around to her other shoulder, pulling her closer to me, receiving a gasp of surprise.

"…Ruby," I began, "thanks."

I turn to face her, a smile creeping onto my face as she looks up, confused.

"…for?"

"Thanks. Simply put. Thank you."

I then pull her into a hug, surprising her as I finish, "Thank you…for loving me."

Ruby proceeds to giggle as I feel her arms snake around my back, returning the embrace. I feel the burning sensation in my chest again, closing my eyes as I turn my back to the arm rest, resting on it. Ruby adjusts her body, resting her head on my chest, a smile on her face as I begin stroking her hair.

"…Hey, Ruby."

"Yes?"

"There's…something I need to tell you."

Immediately, Ruby raises herself off of me, her gaze turning from happy to confused. My smile disappears immediately as well as I sit up and put my hand on her shoulder, clearing my throat. I take in a deep breath, unsure of her reaction as I state, "Umm…well…Ozpin has me…well…going on a bit of a…long trip."

"A long trip?"

"Yeah."

Ruby simply blinks and cocks her head to the side, then asks, "Can't I come along?"

"That's…sorta the thing…."


	50. Suddenly Gone

**Hello, everybody! Sorry for the seemingly rushed chapter(s), but I really, REALLY wanted to move on. I think this should really spice things up a bit...sorta. Well I hope you enjoy this short chapter!**

* * *

 **Delta's POV**

* * *

"Del…."

I lower my gaze, Ruby clutching my hands tightly. The wind blew slightly at the outskirts of Vale, the occasional odd vehicle blowing past us as I raised my head to look at Ruby's face. She reciprocated, her silver eyes meeting mine as the world suddenly froze around us. I felt the same, familiar burning sensation in my chest as she opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it just as quickly.

"Ruby, I…."

Ruby suddenly shook her head, then looked back up at me with a sad smile on her face.

"N…no…don't worry about it," she immediately stated, "I'll…be here if you ever need me…!"

I feel my heart rip itself apart as a tear strayed down her cheek. Ruby's smile quickly turned into a look of surprise as she let go of my hands and reached up to wipe it away. however, I quickly pull her into a hug, catching her by surprise.

"…I'm not gonna die on you."

"…You'd better not."

"Delta!"

I opened my eyes, seeing my team running up to us. I blinked, then looked down at Ruby, then back to them as Sierra walked up to us and said, "You'd better come back alive, you hear me?"

"I've got ya," I quickly reply, smiling in reassurance.

Lima suddenly joined in on the hug as Hotel approached me, raising his fist. I smirk at him and raise mine as best I can, returning the fist bump.

"…Alright, I've gottta go."

* * *

 **Several months later... (3rd POV)**

* * *

What was left of Team SHLD was holed up in Al's Tavern, planning their next course of action. Any given missions were now specific to each person's abilities, etc. It was beginning to drive Sierra nuts since said leader was mainly the one that was going on them solo. Lima and Hotel very seldom tagged along, though they did go on their own missions from time to time for the usual expenses.

In the months that had passed, Lima had gotten engaged to Windsickle, and Hotel and Yang had a proper wedding, though Yang kept her maiden name. Sierra, being closest to Hotel, was extremely happy for them, having visions of her upcoming wedding with Echo. Lima's ears wagged happily, seemingly reading Sierra's mind as they hung out in the private room that they used as a meeting room. However, as they turned to face the chair that Delta would usually sit at, the light mood suddenly turned stale, having remembered that said member was currently out on a mission.

Lima's ears immediately drooped as she looked down at her cup of juice. Hotel kept his eyes on the empty chair for a couple minutes before taking another swig from his beer cup, setting it back down on the table. Sierra simply played with a knife, sighing as she tossed it up in the air, landing directly in the middle of the table. However, she was quick to try to lighten the mood as she said, "Hey, let's not worry. This _is_ Delta, after all. I'm sure he's fine."

Just then, a knock on the door caught their attention. The team's attention turned to the door as it slowly opened, revealing a red-haired woman. Sierra's eyes immediately widened as the woman casually entered the room, taking Delta's empty chair and turning it around, sitting on it and leaning on the back rest. There was a tense moment of silence before Sierra ushered, "Scarlet…!"

Immediately, Lima and Hotel jumped out of their chairs and reached for their weapons, alarmed. However, Sierra immediately raised her hands, calling them off, catching them off guard as Scarlet turned to the door, an unknown man entering right after with a cup. He very quickly gave Scarlet the cup, of which she quickly downed the contents, then said, "I see you've caught on, sis."

"What're you doing here…?"

Sierra's gaze just as quickly narrowed as she kept her hands tense, ready to pull out knives at a moment's notice.

"Okay, never mind," Scarlet stated, sighing as she put the cup down and continued, "I've got some news regarding your boy."

"My…boy?"

"Yeah. That teammate of yours."

Immediately, dread snuck into the team's very beings.

"Delta Ordance," Scarlet stated, "per order of General Ironwood, and the consent of Ozpin, has officially been declared M.I.A."

* * *

 **So that's the end of this story. I apologize if the title doesn't seem to fit in with the story, but I honestly didn't plan on ending this story this soon. However, the story that ensues should be _just_ as good...I hope. Anyway, thanks for this amazing ride with Team SHLD, and I'll see you guys in their next journey. Peace out, and hope you guys enjoy the new season of RWBY!**


	51. A New Chapter

**Okay, okay, I said that 50 was gonna be the last chapter. But hey; I felt obligated to write this, so here's a little prelude. I hope y'all enjoy it! It's been one helluva ride!**

* * *

Deep in the forests of Mistral, the sound of running Grimm filled the air. Mixed in was the sound of running feet, the sound of a child's breathing mixed in as birds flew out of the trees, startled by the commotion that was on the ground. Fear coursed through the child's veins as she hid behind a tree, hoping that she had lost her pursuers.

Glancing behind the tree, she looked left, then right, then jumped back to her hiding spot, slowly sliding down onto the ground. She held back tears as she shakily pulled out a scroll that her parents had given to her in case of emergency. Sliding it open, she quickly contacted them, getting through, but unable to answer.

"Honey? What's wrong?"

"M-mommy…!"

"What's wrong, dear?"

"I'm…I'm scared…!"

Before she could say anything more, however, the sound of heavy breathing filled the air. Frozen, she slowly turned to her left, seeing a Beowolf snake its head around the tree she was hiding around, growling ferociously. Her body, paralyzed with fear, refused to move as the Grimm let out a loud howl and smashed the tree down. The little girl let off a scream, closing her eyes tightly as the Grimm licked its teeth, red eyes glowing intimidatingly as it's breathing grew heavy with excitement, grabbing the child with both hands, pinning her arms to her body.

The child's eyes shot wide open with fear as the Grimm seemingly grinned and opened its mouth, ready to devour her. The smell of rotting flesh filled the child's senses as she let out one last scream, praying for a miracle to save her.

The sound of branches snapping filled the air.

The Beowolf stopped, curious as to what the sound was, turning its attention away from its potential meal and looking to its left. The sound slowly drew closer and closer as the child fainted, her body growing limp. The Grimm, however, paid little attention as it tried to look harder, seemingly seeing something glint in the darkness.

Before it could comprehend anything, however, it was dead with a sword in its mask.

Just then, a huntsman appeared, holding the sword in the Grimm's skull, ripping it out and cutting the arms off, catching the child. Looking at her, the huntsman sighed as he found himself quickly surrounded by a pack of Beowolves. Glancing to and fro, the huntsman simply let go of his sword, allowing it to float back over his left shoulder with two other swords as he got a better grip on the child. The Grimm all let out howls as the huntsman began casually making his way toward the nearest village, smirking to himself as his swords immediately began locking onto any Grimm that was standing in his way.

* * *

The child's eyes opened, blinking as she comprehended that she was getting carried.

"You're safe."

Immediately, her eyes shot wide open, shocked and surprised as the huntsman smiled.

"You're alright."

The child's eyes slowly dragged up to his face, amazed and in awe at her savior as dawn slowly crept up on them.

As they approached a small settlement, the sight of a man and woman screaming at a somewhat drunk huntsman caught their attention. Blinking, the savior huntsman looked down at the child, who whispered, "mommy and daddy…!"

"Those are your parents?"

The child nodded, then looked back up at the huntsman. Silent words were exchanged as he put her back on the ground, then ran over to pick up a flower. The huntsman, somewhat amazed at her action after just being in a life scarring situation, watched as she ran back over to him and handed him the plant and said, "Th-thank you, mister!"

The huntsman simply blinked, then chuckled to himself as he kneeled down to her level and took the flower. The child blushed, then turned around, ready to go back to her parents.

"Hold on a sec."

The child stopped and turned around as the huntsman reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a little necklace and a tiny square object. He then motioned for her to go back to him, to which she did, then stuck his hand out to her. Reaching out, she watched as he put the necklace and the square object in the palm of her hand.

"The necklace is my gift to you. Also, this little square thing, I need you to give it to someone for me."

The child nodded.

"Now, in a couple days, there's going to be a huntress coming through here. Her name is Sierra. You can't miss her. She's just a little shorter than I am, and she has unmistakable silver hair. Give that to her for me, okay?"

The child nodded again.

"Good," the huntsman gave a smile, then stood back up and turned around.

"M-mister!"

Stopping, the huntsman turned back to look at her.

"A-are you a superhero?"

Widening his eyes in surprise, the huntsman stared at the child. Minutes passed by as Remnant's sun slowly began to rise over the horizon. The huntsman began running memories through his mind of people from the past, a smile gracing his face as he replied, "…Kind of."

"Th-thank you, mister superhero!"

With one last chuckle, the huntsman walked away, leaving the child in awe as he raised a hand, three swords flying around him before connecting into one on his back.

* * *

 **Next time...**

* * *

"A-are you Sierra?"

"Yes, I am."

"A-a superhero said to give that to you!"

"Superhero?"


End file.
